Yoshi's True Story
by Lacerta007
Summary: a story made using everything I've come across so far. I'm not that good at story writing, so any help would be appreciated! Please leave honest and constructive reviews so I can better my writing techniques (at the end of every chapter is optimal)
1. Prologue

Sam velez

Hour 6

Narrative

Morse

The Novel: Yoshi's True Story created by Samuel Velez, and Written by Samuel Velez all characters are owned by their respective owners(all rights reserved to them).

Prologue

(?'s P.O.V.)

Abyss had just finished with the absorption of the artifact. Emperor and Marine gazed in the direction of the exploding light that filled their vision. When the light slowly died down to a point that the team could see again, they opened their eyes and they looked at the dark entity that loomed before them. It looked like a Nightmare. Emperor looked at Rojo, who was on the ground. He laid motionless like the trap-door spider. His skin was battered, bruised, and cut all over. His skin looked like that of a well-worn hide. His breaths were shallow, and each one seemed to be painful. Breaths like that of a heavy smoker. Every shallow breath hurting Emperor emotionally a little. Emperor thought Rojo could barely even lift his head to look that the monster, not even feet from where he was lying. Emperor knew that it took an immense amount of effort to seriously injure his best Island Defense Force leader. Abyss lifted his head and looked right at Emperor and Marine. Abyss's gaze paralyzed him. Interested, I gave Emperor thought of the Hunters from the Dark World. That's what he saw when the monster pierced his body, and maybe soul with that glare.

"That's not possible"

Marine breathed. Marine was one of the best-trained soldiers in his class. Marine was tall; about 5'6 in height and well-built muscle-wise. He had Blue eyes and dark Blue scales. He wore steel-toe military issue boots and was jolly, but in battle I knew he was steadfast. Marine was in pure disbelief. He felt a feeling of dread as he looked at Abyss. Abyss threw his head back and laughed maniacally like the crazed individual in an asylum. He returned to his gaze to Emperor, and smiled a sharp-toothed grin. Very similar to that of A really terrible nightmare from a sick, twisted creator.

" You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment; this time, this will be your downfall!"

He yelled as he plunged the object into his chest. There was a sick crunching sound as the artifact went into him, and Abyss started to shake like a tree in a hurricane. He also started to shake and convulse in pain and agony as the Artifact took over his body and mind. I knew Emperor could do nothing, as the pure evil, hatred, and dark power that emanated from Abyss and the entity in the artifact froze him in tension and fear. Emperor looked a bit to the left so that he could see over the edge of the plateau. He had to tear his eyes from the monster's gaze, otherwise, Emperor felt that he would be consumed by the evil that stood before him. Suddenly that plateau that they were standing on didn't seem scary at all. The lighting, thunder, even the mile drop from the edge didn't scare Emperor. The monster that stood in front of him did. Emperor used the Soul-Read ability.

This ability was given to Emperor when he visited another plane of existance where he met . This another illusion I gave him. Soul-Read is similar to another individual's Vision ability, but Soul-Read is different. He recalled as he readied the spell. Emperor's vision turned to that of ultraviolet hues. He could see the outline of Abyss, but he could not see any vital organs. He could not see a heartbeat or a steady breath stream, or a functioning brain, or any soul left in him. There was not much time left to save his childhood friend. Emperor knew he had one chance at saving Abyss. Emperor also knew that what Abyss had absorbed was really powerful and dangerous. This was due to the artifact's origins and the dark and evil story that went with it. his breaths were quick, and hastily drawn. He could not begin to fathom how much how the dark artifact completely mutilated Abyss. Emperor looked at the sharp spikes that now lined down Abyss's back. The eyes of Abyss were now Blueish-Black, and the normal yoshi face was replaced with that of a raptor-like one. Where there was a big nose, there was a small one. Where there was a small mouth, there was now a large one with many sharp pointed teeth. Where there was the normal yoshi eye placement, the eyes now moved to the placement of normal human eyes. Emperor also noticed that abyss had gained an incalculable amount of muscle. At the end of the transformation, abyss was 7"4 and was radiating a dark aura, and had a large and long spike that protruded from each of his elbows, and back, close to where Abyss's wings were. Emperor could only conclude that Abyss was not the animal he once was. Saliva dripped from his lower jaw like a rottweiler. He was also shaking, and a deep growl was heard, signaling the very end of saving Abyss. Emperor looked at the wings that were sprouting from the monster's back. As they grew, sickening cracking sounds filled the plateau. As the wings grew, Emperor could see more spikes growing from Abyss's back. The spikes ended in sharp points and were a sickly yellow color. It was the most sickening sound Emperor had heard in his what seemed to be 35 years of life. Another maniacal laugh erupted from Abyss. He knew that he had power that rivaled Emperor's new found power. Abyss also knew that he had limitless power. He looked at Emperor, and as he did, the wings unfurled to their full length. Each wing two and a half feet long. Five feet in total length from wingtip to wingtip. Emperor took the Reborn off of his back. Abyss grinned and chuckled to himself.

"You really think that tin strip of a sword can hurt me"?

"You must take me for a fool"

He taunted. Emperor ran his fingers along the length of the Reborn; something I prompted him to do. As he did so, the Reborn slowly unfurled to its full length. The Reborn glowed a Greenish-Blue color. This was the undecided art mode. Emperor ran through the Sacred Art options he could use as I told him what he could use. Altitude, Velocity, Armor, Damage, and Destruction.

_Each Sacred Art had its upsides and downsides _

Emperor remembered what the High Chameleon Council said about the Reborn.

_The Reborn is the equivalent of an energy sword. It is like the weapon that another hero used, but it's limited in its abilities_

Emperor recalled to himself. A blue symbol slowly appeared in the reborn's eyes. Emperor concentrated hard, and chose one of the arts that I told him he could use.

"Velocity!"

Emperor shouted. The shout reverberated throughout the plateau and even echoed off of the jagged rocky cliffside. Emperor's feet started glowing blue. Blue specks of light flew from his heel like sparks. Even Abyss was a little nervous now, and Emperor could tell this by the way he shifted. Emperor felt the neurons in his brain fire faster, causing his reaction time and his muscles react faster. The neurons fired, and with deafening speed, Emperor lunged, and in mid-air sliced overhead with the Reborn. Abyss reacted just as quick by moving so fast, his image blurred as he sidestepped from the attack. Emperor landed hard on the ground and winced from the impact. He anticipated Abyss's next attack,resetted, and swung again with the same result. Emperor was sweating now, the Reborn heavy in his arms.

" you've gotten slow old dino! They should use a timeline to measure your reaction time!"

Abyss taunted.

" yeah, and who's too scared of a little tin sword? If it's so weak, why are you afraid of it?"

Emperor countered.

" No power is equal to mine; you could not even begin to comprehend my power."

Abyss said with a sneer. He put his hands together in front of him.

"Shadow ball!"

Abyss shouted as a black and blue orb formed in between his hands. The orb rippled and undulated as Abyss gradually brought his hands back and thrust them forward to stand in a hadouken stance. A wavy blue vision filled Emperor's eyes. This was a Future Sight.

_This happens when impending death or doom is imminent._

Emperor remembered. In the vision, Emperor was hit in the chest with the Shadow Ball. The Shadow Ball hit Emperor and the black sludge spread over his body, burning him with such intensity, that his scales melted all the way down to the bone. His cries of pain rang throughout the plateau, and the last thing Emperor saw was Abyss absorbing his Fighting Spirit and proceeding to kill everyone on the plateau. The vision ended and Emperor sidestepped quickly, just narrowly missing the Shadow Ball that was meant for him. Emperor did not want this to happen, and with this, Emperor ignored the pain and continued to press on. Abyss was already preparing another Shadow Ball in the air in time with his wingbeats. He fired the next shot, which impacted the ground right to the left of where Emperor had just sidestepped. A fierce yell was heard as Marine tried to backslash abyss with his water sword. Abyss looked back to look at Marine who was rapidly approaching him in the air. He smiled to himself and shifted his aerial position little to the right with a little shift of his wings. Marine went barreling past Abyss, and right into a wall of rock. A sickening crunch went through the plateau. Emperor reacted quickly, and with the last bit of Speed Art left, he ran quickly over to Marine. The impact instantly knocked Marine out, and it was just Emperor and Abyss. Abyss returned to the ground with a crunch of rock as he landed.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment; I was tired of playing Second Fiddle to you, I should have been the ruler!"

Abyss yelled furiously. The transformation was finished, and Emperor sighed. He said nothing, as if there was nothing to say. He was not scared, or nervous interestingly. The way Abyss wanted to seize power was not the wrong way; it was one of the ways to go about it. He wanted to kill and take an Iron Fist approach to power, which I would do as well. Emperor knew that he was going to enslave and exploit everyone to fit Abyss's wishes. Abyss's breathing was getting quicker, and all the while, Emperor looked at Abyss through the smoke and the occasional lightning flash. He could only see the outline of Abyss, and although he could only see the outline, and Abyss's possessed purple glowing eyes piercing through the smoke and dust the battle had created, he felt something was going to change even more.

"What is it that you desire?"

Emperor yelled

"Power? The world?"

Emperor added. Abyss closed his eyes causing the smoke instantly clear. Emperor could clearly see Abyss's face again. He opened his eyes, and Emperor could see only for a split second the flicker of what used to be his friendly rival. As quickly as Emperor could see it, the quality was gone. Abyss returned to his solemn state one more.

" You know what I wish for".

Abyss said quietly with a deadly smile. There was a flash as the Reborn went back to its original Blue-Green color. Emperor ran through his options once more. Only Altitude, Armor, Damage, and Destruction remained. Emperor remembered that each of the Sacred Arts had a cooldown time of 30 seconds. This property was both a blessing and a curse. Emperor knew Abyss was dangerous, even though he was his friend at one point. Emperor could not fathom keeping a shred of hope now, and I knew Emperor could not trust Abyss anymore.

"Damage!"

Emperor yelled. Emperor felt power well up in him. His muscles tensed and gained some bulk. Emperor felt the sense of tension and urgency that came with the Sacred Art Reborn glowed purple. Emperor also noticed a pulsing sensation that was in time with the Damage Sacred Art.

" You don't trust me? I thought we were friends my dear brother"

Abyss sneered. Emperor winced when Abyss said that name. He did not trust most of the people that he knew anymore. The spies and assassins that someone had been sending didn't help his tension either.

"I would never trust an individual that kills others for his pleasure! I already know what you have done. I know what you are now. I could never have any hope for you. I know we used to be friends even, but that was such a long time ago now!"

Emperor exploded as he lunged again, this time leaving a small crater from where his feet launched. Emperor was fueled by rage and adrenaline now. This time Abyss was not ready. He was not expecting Emperor to be standing anymore. Abyss gasped in surprise and tried to sidestep, but Emperor backhand swung the reborn. Abyss reacted fast enough to parry the shot, but took some damage from the blow. Purple-Black scales flew in every direction from the impact and Abyss flew back through the air. he was unable to steady himself with his wings from the impact and there was another flash, this time, it was purple.

_Only Three left; Altitude, Armor, and Destruction_

Emperor thought to himself. Then his attention turned to the immediate changes that were going on around him. This signified the end of the Sacred Art Damage activity. The Reborn slowly reverted to its original color, but Emperor kept slashing. He was furious, and the adrenaline that exploded through his veins kept him from tiring. Each time Emperor swung the Reborn, a little more damage was done to Abyss's body. Suddenly another Future Sight was seen. In this Future Sight, Emperor jumped back and prepared his next attack. Just as the vision appeared, it was gone. Emperor was thrust back into reality where he was already jumping back into the projected place in the vision. Emperor tripped on a jagged stone, knocking him onto his back. The Reborn's cold metal cutting deep into his skin. Emperor winced in pain and looked up in time to see Abyss unfurl his wings and launch into the air. The smoke swirled around abyss in the air, causing him look even more sinister. Emperor looked at Abyss for possibly the last time. Emperor was in awe that Abyss had lasted this long from absorbing the artifact. But what he did not know was how Abyss had resisted the evil control that the artifact held.

"Hyper beam!"

Abyss shouted. This tore Emperor from his thoughts. Emperor looked up in time to see Abyss open his mouth which was full of jagged teeth. The wind picked up, and a white energy formed a circle in the middle of Abyss's mouth. Abyss closed his mouth and his cheeks expanded to a large half-circle on both sides of his head. He opened his mouth again, and a dark stream of pure dark matter erupted from his mouth. The stream barrelled towards Emperor. Emperor rolled left, and the ground exploded right where he just rolled from. Abyss screamed in anger.

"Stop running and just let me kill you! This will be quick, but it won't be painless!"

Abyss said with hate-infused rage. Emperor was up and running now. Emperor tried to anticipate what move He would use and where Abyss would fire his shots. While in the air, he charged another Hyper Beam. Another beam exploded from his mouth. Emperor was running again, this time Emperor rolled left. Emperor could use Sacred Art Speed again, but He was tired now. Another Hyper Beam exploded from Abyss. Emperor dodged left, and jumped high into the air. he swung up with the reborn, this time connecting with Abyss's lower jaw. This was Upward Swing. A magic based Reborn ability. This allows the user to jump higher and hit harder if the move is used on the ground. There was another sickening crack went through the sent Abyss sailing through the air again. He landed on his back, sliding across the rocky ground. The stones cutting deep and scraping all across his back. Abyss skillfully rolled himself so that he was standing mostly upright. He skidded across the ground with his claws digging into the ground. Abyss's skin was bloody, and his eyes were now completely black. His body was now radiating a blackish-purple aura, and now his skin was missing scales. Where these scales were missing, there was black blood seeping from the deep Reborn and rock induced wounds. Emperor ran his hand along the reborn again. This time, the reborn curled back into its circle form. Emperor reached over his head and put the Reborn on his back. Emperor could not fight anymore. He was exhausted mentally, and physically. All emperor could hope for was-

"Emperor!"

a female voiced cried.

"Huh?"

Emperor huffed. He was tired from the running, dodging, and the Sacred Art changing of the Reborn. Emperor turned his head to see Lily, the pink yoshi that had just reached the top of the stone stairs. Lily was one of the few female yoshis who was skilled in combat as well as magic. She graduated at the top of both Physical and Magical Offensive classes. She had been Emperor's friend since childhood. She was breathing heavily. Abyss was looking past Emperor and was now looking at Lily too.

"You need friends to help you fight? That's so nice. The great Yoshi Emperor needs a girl to help him fight.

Abyss laughed a deep growly laugh.

" look how weak you are that you need fr-"

Abyss was cut off in mid-taunt by a slap. The arm returned to its original state and shape. Abyss looked in awe at who slapped him. "

"That should teach you to talk to my best friend like that!"

Lily said cheerily. Abyss snorted.

" your little friend there needs to- ow!"

Abyss was again cut off in mid-sentence with another slap. Abyss growled. Then he started to scream, and yell. Everyone looked at Abyss. He had his hands on his head, and his body was writhing, and convulsing in what looked like to be pain. His yells were agonizing to Lily. She did not like seeing others in pain, even if the individual was "evil". Abyss continued with the exclaims of pain, as a bright light once again filled the area. The plateau shone with the light, and flashed almost rhythmically with the lightning. The light was so bright that everyone had to close their eyes. Even Lily, who did not see well due to her eyes being Color Blind (she can only see black and white). The scream rose to a deafening high pitched wail that seemed to crack the sky. The light faded, and a normal looking Black yoshi fell to the ground and laid in a crumpled heap on the ground. Emperor let out a huge gust of air that he had been holding. He was in a state of huge relief. Lily edged over to Abyss. She edged around Emperor and knelt by the side of Abyss, her steel-toe boots with tungsten-alloy cleats causing crunching sounds as she walked over to Abyss. Lily rolled Abyss because he was resting on his shoulder. Lily rolled Abyss so that he was resting on his back. Lily extended her arm so that two of her fingers rested on Abyss's neck. As soon as she touched Abyss's neck, the wings, and teeth retracted into his back and jaw with sickening cracking sounds. Lily quickly took her hand back in reaction to the sounds. The wings, spikes and horns stopped receding into Abyss's scales. Lily looked at Emperor and Rojo who was now standing to the left of Emperor. Marine was on the right side of Emperor. He spoke first.

" When did you learn healing magic?"

" I just started three days ago" Lily said uneasily.

" You do understand what I have to do now….. Right?" Emperor said quietly.

Lily looked sadly at Abyss. Emperor felt the sadness and grief that emanated from Her. Emperor sighed and looked at Lily who had already put her hand on Abyss's head again. The sickening cracking sounds started again. The storm clouds, thunder, and lightning had gone. The sky was clear now and the sun had started shining. Emperor shifted his gaze to Rojo who was in mid-wince.

" I thought that you were a seasoned soldier," Emperor said jokingly.

" I am, but one does not simply see this all the time…" Rojo replied solemnly

Emperor looked at Abyss on the ground, who was bloody and scarred. He felt bad that he did not hold back on his power and knowing that his strikes that were too hard. Emperor felt that he needed to repent for his actions. He also knew that what Lily was dealing with a monster. Emperor sighed. He already had a wife, but everyone he was in charge of, he felt he needed to protect.

"Be careful Lily"

Emperor said with tension.

"I am; I just need to isolate the Artifact"

Lily replied impatiently

" what artifact did he take now?"

Marine asked him complete wonder. Emperor and Rojo looked at Marine.

"Should I tell him?"

Rojo asked Emperor.

"Sure, go ahead"

Emperor said evenly. Lily continued to tend to Abyss's wounds. Abyss's color was returning to a normal black color. However, none of them saw the sinuous black liquid seeping from Abyss's scales as he slowly bled to death. Rojo turned to Marine and started to explain what happened

"First of all, I would like to tell you that you do not know how to use Military-Grade Magic Water Swords. Now as for the artifact that YOU were supposed to protect, that was what Abyss stole and absorbed"

Rojo explained. Marine looked at the rocky ground. He did not want to look at Rojo's face. Marine was humiliated, and felt that he betrayed everyone in his team. Marine shifted uneasily, waiting to hear what fate was to befall him for losing a potentially deadly artifact. A tinkling sound shattered Marine's thoughts. Marine, Emperor, and Rojo looked at Lily. she had the artifact in her hand. Her other hand, which was on Abyss's chest, was bloody with the Black blood of his body. Lily looked at the artifact. The first thing that she noticed was the shininess of the object. The object was thought to be made of a steel-like compound. The artifact was not heavy like steel would be, but it shone with the brilliance of a multi-faceted diamond. There was no heat or cold emanating from the object, and the object was clear and round. There was only a small hole on the top. The special cork was missing. Lily was the one to notice this first. Emperor, Marine, and Rojo moved closer the object. Emperor gasped when he knew what the object was.

"Lily lose the object, now!"

Emperor said tensely, and with haste. Lily dropped the object quickly and tended to Abyss's wounds once more. Lily gave no care to the object anymore but was now focused on Abyss's welfare.

Rojo turned to Emperor.

" Do you know what that object was?" Rojo asked

"I do know what it was" Emperor breathed

"What was it?"

Emperor took a deep breath. Emperor had trouble even saying the name of the object. The object brought back memories that Emperor did not want to remember.

"Well, what is it?" Rojo pressed.

Emperor exhaled.

"It's… the Anti-matter Core"

Lily, Marine, and Rojo looked at Emperor with scared faces as he said the name of the object.

Rojo looked at Marine with a scowl. Marine dropped his head to look at the ground in shame, and defeat once more. All of them looked at the Anti-Matter Core on the ground. Not visible before was cracks in the glasslike substance that ran along the outside of the Anti-Matter Core.

"Lily. run, now. Rojo, get Marine and run from here as fast as you can."

Emperor said tensely. Rojo nodded and gathered Lily and Marine. The three took off, each of them leaving launch marks as they ran off of the plateau. The sky was getting dark again. Thunder roared in the distance. The purple-black liquid that was in the Anti-Matter Core was slithering over to Abyss. Emperor ran over to Abyss and checked for a pulse. To his dismay, there was none. Emperor sighed as he knew what was going to happen next. He took as step back, as the sinuous liquid slithered into the shallow hole in Abyss's chest. This was the hole that he made when he Upwardly Swung Abyss. Abyss groaned and rolled a little to the left. Emperor braced himself for anything that might happen. Abyss got up slowly, his broken arms and legs slowly reconnecting, and resetting the bone structure with the sick cracking sounds. Abyss's body looked normal, but his eyes now had a possessed red look to them. The Red ringed the outside of his iris n addition to the Purple iris, Abyss's shell of a body had two irises now. Emperor had chills going up and down his spine, and skin. This was the one thing that he had never dreamed of happening. But it was happening, and his hands went cold and clammy.

"Thank you for releasing me from my hellish prison"

Abyss spoke. The voice, however, was not Abyss's. This voice was the voice of John. Emperor knew who, no, what John was. John was the evil spirit that almost laid waste to all of the United Islands when he absorbed the Anti-Matter Core.

"Pain Split"

John said. This tore Emperor from his thoughts again as Emperor felt a burning sensation on his upper arm. John laughed.

"You know what Pain Split does don't you?"

John asked with a taunt. Emperor looked at his upper right arm and saw the a symbol appear on his arm. Emperor started feeling loopy, and the world was fading in Emperor's eyes. Emperor's muscles went numb, his vision was fading, his breathing slowly stopped, and Emperor felt no more. Everything was a tornado of jumbled everything. Emperor moaned and he fell to the ground hard.

"Good night little dinosaur"

was the last thing Emperor heard before the complete blackness that had been ringing his eyes swallowed all of his vision. Emperor felt weightless and felt or saw nothing...


	2. Chapter 1 (What's going On?)

Chapter 1 What's Going On?

?'s P.O.V.

"Wake up, Wake up… Oh please wake up Emperor!"

Emperor heard these cries and groggily opened his eyes. As his vision came into focus, he could see his comrades that helped him. Cynder let her breath out.

"I'm Happy to see that you're at least somewhat well Emperor"

The others nodded in agreement. Emperor looked at his surroundings. He was on a bed and was covered with warm blankets. His Steel-toe Boots were on a table next to where his head was laid. Emperor could see the others looking nervously at each other.

"Do you feel alright Emperor?"

Lily asked

Emperor sighed. He did not want to say what he was feeling. He did not want to tell the others what happened to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Lily, could you get me some Coconut Water with Pineapple juice?"

Lily looked at Emperor with a smile. Lily knew that Coconut with Pineapple was Emperor's Favorite drink. Lily moved with haste out of the room. Captain Rojo and Marine stayed in the room with Emperor.

"The time is 0600 Hours Marine. It's time to practice your Forms again. It seems that you need some work on them"

"Sir yes sir"

Marine replied as he stood up straight and saluted Rojo. The two of them left the room, leaving only Cynder with Emperor. Cynder looked depressed.

"What's up with you?"

Emperor asked nervously. Cynder looked up from her gaze at the floor. She looked upset now instead of depressed.

"Why didn't you tell me!?"

Cynder exploded. Emperor winced from her loud speech. Emperor looked at Cynder who was seething with rage. Emperor opened his mouth to speak but was cut off before he could get any words out

" As a team, we are supposed to look out for each other; why did you not tell me about the mission that you were going on!? It was a Suicide mission for crying out loud!"

Cynder was back to looking depressed now and he looked away from Cynder. The feeling of guilt was washing over Emperor. He moved to get up, but searing pain stopped him from moving anymore. Emperor screamed in pain, which sent Cynder running from the room. Her footsteps leaving Emperor to sink back into the endless abyss of pain.

"Will he be alright Doctor Lemon?"

A new voice said. Emperor looked up from the bed which he was bound to. Through blurry vision, he could see there were new individuals in the room. Emperor was not used to the room he was in and was especially not used to seeing new people.

"What's going on here, and who are these new individuals?"

Emperor croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. The two new individuals in the room looked at Emperor. Cynder scowled at Emperor, and Emperor looked back up at the thatch ceiling. There was a little pinpoint pain in Emperor's neck. Emperor looked down from the ceiling and gasped in shock to see that his entire body was covered in casts. Emperor looked back at Cynder, and she smiled.

"Your drink is here".

Cynder said, pointing to the table that was to the left of Emperor. Emperor smiled and looked back at Cynder who was beaming.

"Emperor is it?"

The Yellow yoshi asked.

"I am He"

Emperor replied. The Yellow yoshi and the two light Blue yoshis looked in awe and kneeled at the foot of the bed. Emperor could not stand individuals worshipping him. He was of royalty but did not like it when people did acts of worship to him. Emperor did know there were individuals higher than him, so that's why he did not like individuals worshipping him. The Yellow yoshi rose and spoke.

" Greetings our dear prince, we have come before you on this day to attend to your wounds sustained in battle; my name is Lemon, and I have a Doctor's Degree in Psychology and Yoshi Anatomy. I am also a Licensed Doctor as well,"

Lemon declared. Emperor shuddered. He hated doctors, needles, and the things that he knew doctors could do. Emperor studied the one called Lemon. She was about 5'8 in height and was normally built in muscle. She had green eyes and looked to be very healthy. The only drawback that he could see was that she had short arms. Then the two Light Blue yoshis spoke. The one on the right spoke first.

"Greetings to you as well my prince. We come before you to stand in your presence to tell you that you have succeeded to the throne. I am Northwind, your Senior Advisor"

Then the one on the left spoke.

"You have my greetings as well my King. I will be your High Council Member of Island Authorities, my King. You may address me by the name Frostbite."

Emperor knew this could not be true. Emperor tried to Reason with himself that both of his parents were not dead, and I knew he was about to explode in anger.

I want to know who did this

Emperor breathed to himself. Captain Rojo entered the room

" Well, it looks like there's a problem in here, what's going on?"

Rojo boomed. All of the room's occupants looked at each other. No one wanted to stare down Rojo when he was upset. He looked like he had just come back from a long, terrible war. Emperor could see this.

"Is it true!?"

Emperor blurted softly. Captain Rojo looked at Emperor sullenly, and he felt weak. Rojo walked over to Emperor and knelt down at the bedside of where Emperor was lying. Emperor could smell the blood and death that stained the room's perfume-like smell. Emperor could see a giant, long sword that was sheathed on Rojo's back. Rojo leaned forward so that He was in whispering distance of Emperor.

" I regret to tell you that indeed what the others have told you, is true"

Rojo said sadly as A tear fell from Rojo's face onto the floor. The others stood in awe, and silence at Captain Rojo's response to the Island-Wide news. Rojo looked up to meet Emperor's gaze. Emperor was surprised himself to see Rojo in such a bad state.

" You…..Were the last…..to know"

Rojo said in between sobs. Emperor sighed heavily and immediately regretted the action, for it caused him great pain. The tension in the room hung in the air, and no one wanted to speak. The only sounds breaking the silence were distant sobs. That was until Lemon broke the silence.

"If it's ok with you my King, I will attend to your wounds."

Rojo rose and left the room muttering something under his breath. Lemon moved from the middle of the room to the left side of where Emperor was lying. Emperor's breaths were shallow and seemed to be causing him pain every time he took a breath. Lemon took out a needle. Emperor shuddered in fear.

"Don't worry Emperor, this will only hurt for a moment ok?"

Lemon smiled in such a way that Emperor felt relieved.

"In this bottle is something that takes way too long to talk about, however, this material that I am injecting into your blood is exactly experimental. I don't know if it will work, but I can assure you that this solution has no side effects".

Lemon's voice trailed off. Emperor wanted to know what was in the vial, but he could not find the strength to ask what was in the vial. Another individual entered the room.

"Is the prince safe?"

A new voice asked. Emperor did not know this voice. The gaggle of yoshis moved to let a new one move through the midst of the others. This color of yoshi was a rare one. Emperor looked in awe at a real, living, dark/deep Purple colored yoshi. It was a male one with a scar across his left eye and was strongly built. He had the look of a seasoned soldier that was about to go mad, but kept his composure. The Deep Purple colored yoshi moved to the right side of the bed where Emperor was lying and knelt before Emperor.

"You do remember me, right?"

The Deep Purple yoshi asked hopefully as he looked up at Emperor. he looked at this new colored individual. I could tell that he could faintly remember a patch of purple coming into his view before he collapsed into his fainting state when he fought John. Emperor could only remember one name that could go with such a color that this individual was.

"Are you Venom?"

Emperor asked quietly.

"Indeed I am; now let Doctor Lemon take care you of you ok? That's my only request, old friend."

Emperor's breaths were becoming deeper and more stable.

"That wasn't so bad, was it Emperor?"

Lemon asked with a chuckle. Emperor was confused. The others were hiding smiles as well

"What are you laughing at?"

Demanded Emperor. Emperor turned his gaze back to Lemon who was grinning ear to ear. Emperor sighed heavily.

"Did you put the injection in without me knowing?"

Emperor asked with annoyance. Lemon chuckled

"Of course I did! How else would you let me do what I was supposed to do with you being all twitchy?"

Lemon said with a cheery voice. Emperor felt warmer than usual now, and he felt the pain go slowly away, and he felt strength returning to his body. Emperor wondered what was in that solution that Doctor Lemon gave him. The two Light Blue yoshis had left, along with Rojo, and Venom.

"Thanks for your help Doc, but what exactly was that injection you gave me?"

Emperor asked with uneasiness. Lemon looked directly at him with a strong stare. I could tell that he felt uneasy by asking that question.

"Do you really want me to answer that question honestly? Do you not trust me?"

Lemon said with annoyance. Emperor felt ashamed.

Even these days you have to make sure that everyone does what they say they are going to do

Emperor thought to himself as he took a deep breath and let it out.

"I really do want to know what was in there, Because what you gave me worked immediately; I don't know if it was meant to work that way, or if it was supposed to work that way, but it did"

Emperor said. Lemon jumped into the air and did a little cheer. She landed back on the floor and ran to the right side of the bed where Emperor was still laying.

"Are you really experiencing what you have told me? I really didn't think that it would work!" Lemon replied with excitement. She was jumping around the room with joy. Emperor tired from watching Lemon celebrate quickly.

"I thought you were going to tell me what was in the vial"

Emperor said with annoyance. Lemon stopped jumping and looked confused for a moment. Then her eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers.

"That's right, I'm sorry that I forgot so quickly. I'm just so happy that the solution worked, and that you are getting better."

Lemon took some deep breaths and calmed herself down. She grabbed a chair and dragged it over to the right side of the bed. She looked Emperor in the eyes. Then she leaned over and brought a bag out from under the chair she had brought over, and set it on the end of the bed that Emperor was still laying in. Lemon opened the bag and brought out some vials of blood, a vial of the mysterious liquid, and a stethoscope. Emperor's breathing quickened.

"Calm down. I'm not going to take any more blood ok? I just want to explain what I did with material objects."

Lemon said. She moved the objects from the end of the bed, to the table that had Emperor's Coconut/Pineapple mix in it.

"This will take some time to explain as I have said before. If you have any questions, feel free to ask when I am done talking OK?"

Lemon said with a bubbly cheeriness in her voice

" I understand. thanks for explaining what's going on, I really appreciate this"

Emperor said with a smile. Lemon chuckled.

" you see these vials of blood here?"

Lemon asked motioning with her hand to the vials that were next to Emperor. Emperor nodded slightly.

"These are vials of your own blood and what I noticed when you hatched from that egg not too long ago was that you aged very quickly, much more quickly than normal"

"Hold on. what do you mean by hatched from an egg?"

Emperor asked quickly with some fear.

" you mean you didn't know? You really did age quickly"

Lemon replied with a chuckle

"All yoshis hatch from eggs you know"

Lemon said rolling her eyes, but Emperor was confused.

"As I was saying, I have been doing some research on yoshi blood. I have been studying how all of the elements in blood work. I have concluded that the main parts of our blood contain the following: Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Platelets, and Plasma; I noticed that in your blood that there are these properties and a special part that I have named antibodies."

"What are these Antibodies that you speak of?"

Emperor replied in wonder

"Antibodies are also known as an Immunoglobulin. These are proteins that are shaped like a Y. These are made by the plasma in your blood, and they are responsible for neutralizing pathogens like bacteria and viruses that are in your blood stream"

Lemon explained. Emperor was fascinated by Lemon's wealth of knowledge.

"With that out of the way, I noticed that your blood is very healthy, strong, and is very good at attacking anomalies. What this means is that you are very resistant to illnesses; something other yoshis are very susceptible to. So what I gave you was a boost to your Antibodies, and gave you something that I am very proud of".

Lemon explained. Lemon looked even happier, and Emperor wanted to know why.

"Why are so happy? It seems that you have been leading up to something. Can you tell me what that might be?"

Emperor asked with wonder. Lemon shifted uneasily and looked away from Emperor momentarily. Her gaze slowly returned to Emperor and she sighed.

"I don't know if you'll believe me, but in the simplest words, I have given you Magic".

"Magic!?"

Emperor exclaimed.

"But that's im-"

"Be quiet!"

Lemon had her hand over his mouth. She quickly took the hand away.

"Sorry I did that, I just didn't want anyone else to know."

Her voice trailed off, and she looked defeated. A tear rolled down Her cheek.

"Please don't cry, it makes me feel really bad for some reason"

Emperor begged. Lemon flicked the tear away and looked back at him.

"How?…."

Emperor was really confused now. The door to the room slammed open and Cynder stormed into the room. She was breathing hard; flames licked the edges of her mouth.

"What is going on here!?"

She roared, sending Lemon jumped three feet into the air. When she landed, she shrank into the nearest corner of the room. Cynder walked slowly, menacingly, over to Lemon, who was cowering in the corner.

"Need I ask again to make me even more upset?"

Cynder asked, her voice dripping with anger. Lemon looked up from the tight ball she had rolled herself into. She looked up at Cynder with fearful eyes.

"I was merely telling Emperor about his blood structure"

She said with her voice wavering. Cynder looked at Emperor. Cynder looked at Emperor with a strong stare.

"Is this true? I don't want anything suspicious going on around here"

She told Emperor, looking with contempt at Lemon. Lemon stood up to her full height(5'7) and looked at Cynder.

"I don't know what you are trying to do, or what you are thinking, but I was merely explaining what I found when I was studying Emperor's Blood Structure."

Lemon told her with annoyance. Cynder snorted, sending an ember onto the wood floor. She stepped on the ember, snuffing it out.

"If that was indeed what you were explaining, I would like to listen in on this as well."

Cynder declared. Lemon smiled sadly and took the chair that she was sitting on earlier.

"I'm sorry Doctor Lemon. I thought that you were trying to do something else."

Cynder said with a little bit of sorrow in her voice.

"This is a time of sorrow, tension, and fear; you are fine my Queen"

Lemon replied cheerily. Emperor was amazed by how Lemon was always able to keep being happy.

This intrigued Emperor, but now, he was confused beyond belief. Him being a King, this new Individual that was half-Dragon, Half-Yoshi as his wife, and all these new individuals that he didn't know before overwhelmed him. Cynder looked at Emperor with the same bewildered expression that Emperor was giving her and everyone was silent once again. The silence was heavy and there was silence until Lemon spoke again.

"May I continue then?"

She asked with newfound authority. Cynder and Emperor broke their gazes and looked back at Lemon

"Knowing this, I have given you a special type of magic, this magic I have not named yet, but will prove useful in the future"

Lemon started to explain but was cut off by Cynder once again.

"You're telling me that you gave him an injection, but don't have a name for what you gave him!?" Cynder exploded. Lemon shook her head and stared Cynder down. Cynder was taken aback by this sudden change in character and stepped back a little.

"As I have told my King, this will take some time to explain. If you want to learn more, let's talk about this outside in my Lab."

Lemon said evenly as she sighed. Cynder nodded and got up from where she was seated on the floor. Emperor felt his eyes growing heavy. He turned his head to look at Lemon, who was walking with Cynder to the door.

"I'm feeling tired suddenly"

Emperor said as he yawned. Lemon turned around to face him and smiled, then looked at Cynder. Cynder looked at him, and she smiled. As Emperor's eyes closed and his vision grew blurry and dark, he heard the door close before sleep claimed him again. It was very interesting to watch how the events that had taken place had changed the projected outcome of the timeline that I had placed.

_What events need to be changed in order to balance out this timeline?_

I thought as I watched everyone leave the room, gradually, my gaze returned to Emperor, who was sleeping fitfully.

_He's going to make A very nice addition to my collection_

I told myself as I opened A hole in the wall. The wall shimmered and cracked as I gazed momentarily into the familiar White void that I knew of as my home. I walked through the hole and closed it behind me.

"Don't want to leave that open; it could cost me A lot"

I joked to myself as I took in the Whiteness of the Void and sighed.

"Looks like it's time to readjust the flow of time"

I said heavily as I started to work the Strings of Time.

"This will be interesting"

I said as all of the timelines that I placed for this world came into focus.


	3. Chapter 2 (Learning the Ropes)

Chapter 2 Learning The Ropes

(Emperor's P.O.V.)

The sound of clashing swords woke me up from my sleep. I opened my eyes that were stuck shut with a gross substance. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and to my surprise, none of my joints hurt at all. I sat up in my bed and surveyed my surroundings. I had moved to a castle-like place and I had no Recollection of moving at all. I looked at the bed I was sleeping in. It was made of silk and satin, and the blanket that covered me was made of very soft cotton.

"Where am I?"

I asked to the empty room. There was no response. I got up from the bed and stretched. I was happy that I could move again. It was then that I noticed how battered my body was. Cuts, scrapes, bruises, and casts covered most of my body. I took off the casts that restricted my movements. Scratching my neck, I walked to the window to see what I could figure out. I opened the doors so that the morning sunlight filled the room. I blinked my eyes many times so that my eyes could adjust to the brightness of the early morning light. There was a balcony beyond the doors that kept the sunlight out of the room. Moving to the balcony, I surveyed my surroundings. Below me was where the metallic clashing sounds came from. There were many Blue colored yoshis practicing their fighting forms. Captain Rojo was in the front of the group.

"Attention"

Rojo bellowed. The yoshis stood up straight and saluted Captain Rojo.

"You are dismissed for the morning, but Marine and Sapphire, come with me"

Rojo ordered. The group of Blue yoshis gradually dissipated until there was none left but Marine, Sapphire, and Rojo.

"I'm very proud of your efforts today, I'm going to reward you with fewer exercises at Midday Training. Understand?"

Rojo said with a slightly happy tone. Marine and Sapphire saluted Rojo

"Sir yes Sir"

The two Blue yoshis replied with enthusiasm

"Run along now you two, and DON'T get yourselves in trouble ok?"

Rojo said sternly

"We won't sir"

Marine and Sapphire called over their shoulders as the two ran off into what seemed to be a town square. Rojo sighed and started walking towards the door on the bottom level of the castle that I was in. Looking to the left, I could see more of the castle that stretched into the distance. Looking to the right, I could see the entrance of the Castle. I turned around to see Rojo standing in the middle of the room. I jumped back and let out a high-pitched yelp of fear. Rojo laughed and walked over to me. He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me directly in the eyes.

"You seem to feel better since you can walk. Can you speak? Can you talk?"

Rojo bombarded me with questions. I took a deep breath and let it out.

"Ok, I get the hint. I'll talk to you later."

Rojo turned around to walk out of the room, but I ran to catch up to him. I caught him as he was about to walk out of the room. I tried out my voice.

"Ahem"

I cleared my throat. Startled, Rojo turned around to face me. He smiled.

"I knew you were in good health"

He said with a laugh. Before I could do anything, Rojo grabbed me by my arm and dragged me along with him down a long hallway. We made a left turn and now we were in what looked like to be a Dining area. Rojo looked at me.

"Goodness, it looks like you've eaten absolutely nothing for an entire week!"

He exclaimed. I looked at myself. I was feeling a little bit hungry, but not wanting to make Rojo upset, I said:

"I'm not that hungry, but I will eat whatever you give me"

I replied cheerily.

"That's just splendid!"

Rojo replied.

"Hey, Chef!"

Rojo called. An Orange yoshi appeared from behind a giant oven made of bricks. The Orange yoshi looked annoyed, but when he saw Captain Rojo his eyes lit up, and he smiled

"Good morning Captain Rojo, what can I Make for you this fine morning?"

The Orange yoshi said happily. Rojo pointed at me

"I have already eaten this morning, but this fine individual is starving!"

Rojo replied with the same enthusiasm as the cook. The cook waved Rojo and I over to his counter that had numerous Black and Red bottles on them. Rojo motioned for me to sit on one of the black stools that were arranged in a row.

"Is this our new King?"

The Orange yoshi asked. Rojo sighed

"Yes, this is our new King. The Queen is currently still sleeping to my knowledge."

Rojo replied.

I was being studied by the Orange yoshi once again. The Orange yoshi extended his arm as far as the arm would reach. I received the handshake with delight

"My name is Sunrise. No need for you to tell me who you are, I already know since my friend Rojo here told me all about you."

Sunrise said happily. Emperor took the drink that was in front of him. Sunrise was already back at his work. The sounds of clattering dishes and rushing water filled the room.

_I could survey this room now too. _

I thought to myself. I looked around the room. There were tables of the same fashion of the counter that I was sitting next to. The tables had the same Black and Red bottles on them. On the far wall, there was a Tapestry that depicted a regal looking pair of Yoshis on it, along with a young Black yoshi, and on the left side, an egg that had not hatched yet. I tapped Rojo on the shoulder.

"Were those my parents?"

I asked with wonder, looking at the tapestry. Sunrise dropped a dish. A shattering sound ripped through the room. Sunrise bent over to clean up the mess. While he was cleaning the mess, he muttered something under his breath that I could not hear or understand. Motioning to the Tapestry, Rojo began to speak.

"Those indeed are your parents. The White one on the left was your mother. She was the kindest and most charming one of our species. We named her Siren. She was very skilled in Magic, and in most of the fighting skills that I know of."

Rojo said with longing.

"I'm guessing the one on the right is my father….right?"

I said with complete uncertainty. Rojo nodded, and Sunrise picked up where Rojo left off.

"Yep, that there was your Father. Most of the people didn't like him. He ruled hard and put a lot of stress on the people. I don't mind that he's gone, but I mostly didn't like how he treated your Mother".

"What about the young Black yoshi on the right?"

I asked with the same wonder. Rojo stiffened and Sunrise stopped cleaning his dishes.

"I don't want to talk about that right now"

Rojo said quickly.

"Don't care for him either, he was a thief"

Sunrise said evenly. Rojo looked sternly at Sunrise who immediately started to whistle a tune that I didn't recognize, as he walked into the back of the kitchen. Rojo looked at me.

"You'll have to excuse Sunrise, he's not scared to give his opinion, and most certainly is not afraid, to tell the truth about anything"

Rojo said with a laugh. Now I was beginning to be thirsty. I turned back around in my chair to finish my drink that Sunrise gave me. I finished it in two gulps and turned back to Rojo, who was fidgeting with something.

"What do you have there?"

I asked. Rojo produced the object. It looked like to be a pendant with a black stone in the center of the necklace. I looked at the object with wonder. Rojo gave me the pendant and I studied it closely. The black stone glimmered faintly in the sunlight.

"That was your mother's favorite necklace. She wore it all the time and it was a gift to her from your father."

Rojo told me. I flipped the pendant over to see my mother and father carved into the back of the pendant.

"You gonna stare at the thing forever, or are you gonna see your place?"

Rojo called from the door. This call broke me from pendant's mental grasp. I ran over to Rojo who was holding the heavy wooden door open. Rojo and I walked out of the BreakFast Hall, and into the CourtYard. I inhaled the sweet smells of the CourtYard. Rojo looked at me.

"Do you know what this place is?"

He asked me as he motioned with his hand to all of the vibrant colors of flowers, yoshis, and animals that I could take in. This was an overload of color to me, causing me dizzy with Color Overload. I stumbled forward a little and Rojo grabbed me by my shoulder with a strong grip that kept me from falling. Rojo returned me to my upright position.

"I know that it's a lot to take in at once"

Rojo said calmly. He led me through the maze of flowers, yoshis, and animals. We walked at a brisk pace, and keeping pace with a First Class General was not the easiest thing to do. Then I saw something familiar that made me stop. Suddenly my vision went black and I could see Cannons firing, individuals screaming and crying, and I could smell smoke. I looked up from the charred ground to see Cannonballs impacting and destroying the building that was before my view. As quickly as the vision came, it was gone, and Rojo was calling my name.

"Emperor, hey, you awake in there?"

Rojo called quietly, waving his hand close to my face. I shook my head vigorously and looked at Rojo who was studying me closely.

"Are you ok?"

He asked me in full seriousness.

"Oh me? Yeah, I'm fine"

I replied with a smile. It was then that I noticed that I was not wearing any shoes or boots. I looked down at my feet and moved my right foot in a circle. Rojo looked down at my foot in interest, and he buried his face in his hands.

"How could I be so dumb?"

He asked himself as I studied my feet. They were fairly large in size and all of my toes looked like a normal foot, but ended in sickle-shaped talons. They were dusty from the lack of footwear that I was absent of. He looked at me again and apologized for not seeing this sooner.

"Oh, it's fine really."

I replied.

"If you insist that it is, I would like to take you somewhere that you may like."

Rojo offered as we started to walk again. Keeping pace with Rojo was not so hard to do now as I was excited to see what he had planned for me. We walked for some time and arrived at the base of the building that I saw in my vision.

"Do you know what this place is?"

Rojo asked as we stopped at the base of the building. I studied the building. It looked like to be made of marble, as it was shining splendidly in the sunrise. The Blue hue of the pillars created an Emerald Green deep in the center of the pillars.

"I don't know if I do, but I could know if you told me."

I replied evenly with a bit of sarcasm. Rojo nodded in agreement. He took me by my shoulder and led me around the right side of the building. I looked at the hedges that were perfectly trimmed into rectangular prism-like shapes. For some reason, I wanted to look for a pool of water. We walked for a little bit of time so that we could reach whatever it was that we needed to go. Soon we came to a large door about my height. I seemed to be very interested in the door since Rojo told me what this area was.

"This is what your parents called the "Revelation Room or RR for an abbreviation"

Rojo told me. I wondered what a "Revelation" was. As I pondered this in my mind, I ran my fingers along the meticulously, intricately carved door. Rojo could obviously see my fascination with the material the door was composed of.

"The materials that were used in this door were very hard to find on this island of our Island Chain."

Without missing a beat, I asked a question.

"What is this material?"

I asked Rojo. He smiled and stretched a little.

"This is called Ivory. It's malleable and easily carved into"

_Ivory _

I breathed to myself. I walked over to Rojo who was shifting his weight uneasily. I noticed that to make Rojo uneasy, it took a lot of events to happen.

"Are you OK Rojo?"

I asked him. Rojo looked at something that seemed to be behind my left shoulder.

"Don't...move…"

Rojo said quietly. I stopped breathing and kept completely still. Rojo took a knife out of his boot. He closed his left eye and threw the knife at me. I closed my eyes not wishing to see my death. There was a sickening thud that came from behind me. Rojo let out the breath he was holding and I looked to see what fell victim to Rojo's expertly thrown knife. The creature looked like to be a lizard of sorts, as it had the normal body of a lizard(except with the knife in its head). The one thing that was different about this animal was the spikes that protruded out of its back. The spikes ended in barbs and were purple at the base and black at the tip. I turned around to look at Rojo.

"What is this?"

Rojo unsheathed his sword, and from a safe distance, poked the creature with the tip of the sword.

When the creature was poked, it thrashed for a full three seconds and then laid still. Rojo cleaned the tip of the sword with a leaf that he found on the ground.

"That was something known by the Islanders as an Assassin Lizard."

Rojo said tensely. I did not know why one lizard was so scary, but I did not question Rojo's actions. Instead, I sought more information.

"Why did you kill that creature?"

I asked him with a touch of sadness in my voice. Rojo scowled at me but seemed to understand why I was asking such a question.

"The Assassin Lizard can fire their spikes off their back when they feel threatened. One spike can kill a fully grown individual of our size in a half hour with no symptoms at all."

Rojo explained as he kicked the reptile into the nearest bush.

"What about the knife?"

I asked Rojo. Rojo looked at me funny, and then nodded to himself and closed his eyes momentarily.

"When you kill an Assassin Lizard, the weapon you use is no longer usable."

He explained to me. This fascinated and annoyed me both. Fascinated to know that this creature was so dangerous and annoyed that I couldn't do anything to save an innocent creature from death. My attention turned back to the door.

"What does this Revelation Room do?"

I asked Rojo. He looked at me excitedly, but before he could speak, the door opened with a low pitched creaking sound.

"Welcome my young King"

Northwind and Frostbite appeared in the doorway. The two of them bowed their head and returned to their original posture. Rojo stood up to his full height and kneeled before Northwind and Frostbite.

"If it's OK with the High Council Members, I would take great gratitude and honor so that I may accompany my King in the Revelation Room."

Rojo stated while he was kneeling. Northwind and Frostbite looked at each other with worried glances. I could tell by the way that they looked at each other that this area was…..Sacred or something very special. Northwind beckoned me with a waving arm. I looked at Rojo, who was still kneeling. Standing next to Northwind, she whispered in my ear.

"If you want him to accompany you, you need to say this phrase: You are welcome in my house of Revelation and Memory."

She said. I nodded and turned around to face Rojo who was still kneeling. Beads of sweat were forming on the top of his forehead.

"You are welcome in my house of Revelation and Memory"

I declared. Rojo shuddered and tears started streaming down his cheeks. He rose and ran over to hug me. I could feel the happiness and joy radiating from him(Along with the pain from his crushing hug strength). Rojo let me out of his hug and bowed in front of me.

I still don't know why these individuals are still causing me a King. This does not feel like this regality belongs to me.

I thought to myself as I was pushed by Northwind into the dark, humid hallway. Rojo ran to join the group.

"Before we go any further into this Sacred Area, you must first remove your boots, shoes, and sandals"

Frostbite declared. This brought some feeling to me; it was like I had been here before. Since I did not have any footwear to remove, I walked over to the right side of the hallway and studied the drawings on the wall. I noticed that there was a lot of chiseled portraits of Regal looking Yoshis. The others with me removed their boots and set them near the Ivory door with metallic clunking sounds that were reverberating through the hallway.

"Stay with me in pace and in line if you wish to live"

Frostbite said with a weird tone of voice. To me, it sounded like she was about to be possessed with something. I shook the thought away as Frostbite started to walk down the hallway, our nails causing clicking noises as they contacted the Linoleum floor. I felt as if I was being watched. Through the mist in the hallway, I could see metal plates on the floor. Frostbite moved quickly, and keeping pace with her was not the easiest thing to do. I looked at Rojo, who was to the immediate left of me. He was focused straight ahead of him and sweat beaded his head.

"Stop"

Commanded Frostbite. Everyone stopped and looked around. We had appeared to reach the end of the hallway quickly. Frostbite produced a stone from her hand. It was a normal looking rock. She tossed it onto the metal plate and as soon as the stone hit the plate, two giant spears exploded out of the walls and impacted each other so hard, sparks flew from the impact. Rojo and I were the only ones who were fascinated by this, for it was only us that exclaimed in awe. I turned to Rojo and he looked at me.

"You've never been here before?"

I asked Rojo in wonder. Rojo nodded.

"The reason why I was so happy was that I have never seen the inside of the Revelation Room at all."

He said excitedly. We stood in place as Frostbite said some words under her breath. When she was done speaking, the spears receded back into the walls from whence they came. Then the ground rumbled a little and the main door opened.

"Why is it that i've never been so amazed before?"

I heard Rojo ask himself as the mist started to dissipate.

"Maybe it's because you've only looked at what's in front of you"

I heard Frostbite mutter as dust started to fall. I heard Rojo's breath catch in his throat.

"Why is there dust in here?"

He asked tensely. Frostbite turned to him.

"If I told you that, it could mean the difference from secession and unification"

She said solemnly as we all turned to look into the Revelation Room.

"Looks like A pretty cool place"

Rojo said as he tried to walk into the place, but Frostbite stopped him.

"You might not want to go in without following me first"

She said quietly as she started going through some hand motions. Rojo scoffed.

"And why would that be?"

He asked with mock worry as he took A step back. NorthWind scoffed angrily.

"I don't need your questions, I need your obedience"


	4. Chapter 3 (Revelations of a Distant Past

Chapter 3 Revelations of a Distant Past

Emperor's P.O.V.

I squinted through the mist and was taken away by complete awe in what I saw. There, through the mist that rushed out through the opening door, was a beautiful room. We walked into the room. Frostbite turned to look at me.

"This is the Revelation Room"

She said. Her eyes were now a deep blue color.

"This is where Time, Space, and Worry are void. They have no relevance to you when you step into this room"

I could now survey the room. The room was very large(About ten feet by ten feet in area). Candles were lighting the room. Their flames flickered when we entered. The ground was covered in short, soft grass. The Humidity that we were feeling in the hallway was not present in this room. There was a ceiling that I could see. It was covered in stalactites. I was worried that these might fall, but it did not bother me much for some reason. In the middle of the room, there was a three foot by three foot square of what looked like to be water in the very center of the room. There was a flash of blue that I caught out of the corner of my eye. I was astounded by what I saw. Frostbite's scales were glowing a light blue. She made some hand gestures and a strong wind blew all the candles out in the room. Her glowing blue scales were what illuminated the room. I could see a shadowy figure leave the room.

_That was probably Frostbite._

I convinced myself. I returned my gaze to Northwind, who was now floating near the top of the stalactites. I slowly inched over to Rojo who was standing in complete awe, mouth open, eyes wide. I silently agreed with him on his reaction to seeing this awesome sight. Northwind turned around in the air to look at us.

"Rojo, since you have accompanied the King on this very important day, you will walk with him to the center of the room with him."

Rojo did not move.

" Do you understand?"

Northwind asked Rojo sternly. He nodded, still in complete amazement. Rojo took me by the arm and led me to the center of the room.

"Now kneel at the edge of the Pool with your face in such a way as to see your reflection in the water"

Northwind commanded when we had reached the center of the room. Rojo let me go so that I could do what she told me to do. I looked into the liquid. Wavelets lapped the edges of the square. I looked at my facial structure in the water, in which, I studied my own face. I had a large nose, not like the other Yoshis. I had vertical slit pupils, I had holes on the sides of my head that I concluded were my ears. I opened my mouth and studied my teeth. They were absent, except for two large fangs that were growing out of the top of my mouth. I exclaimed in fear and tried to pull back from the twisted image I was becoming…..However, I could not move. Instead, My vision went blurry, then went black.

"You will now know at the request of the Queen what happened that fateful day of your birth"

Northwind's voice said. I could not hear or see her speak, but the voice comforted me for some reason. Still kneeling, I felt myself being lifted from the ground. Then I was slowly dropped….into the water.

I tried protesting, but the efforts were to no avail. I felt the cold sting of the water as my scales touched the cold water. I was slowly sinking into the water with no way to move or escape. I once again tried to move, and to my dismay, I still couldn't. I was now up to my neck in this cold water.

_This is it._

I told myself.

_This is the way I die._

I convinced myself. I was now over my head in the liquid. I could hear Rojo shouting something to someone as I continued to sink into the water. My vision was still black, but now I started to see something different.

(Rojo's P.O.V.)

I was shouting at Northwind. I could not bear to see my friend die soon after birth.

"What are you doing?!"

I shouted madly as I readied myself for a high jump. Northwind slowly descended from the ceiling. I drew my Heavy Sword. It glowed softly from Northwind's Scale Glow. She landed on the ground with a soft crunch from the grass. The glow that she was radiating was gone, and she was looking at me with a scowl.

"How dare you draw your sword at a High Council Member"

She said with venomous anger. I felt numb all over. I wondered if I was under a spell. I moved forward a little to balance my sword with how I was standing.

_I REALLY don't want to fight a council member. That would be really bad for my reputation, health, and social status …_

I thought to myself as I put the tip of my sword into the ground. I leaned on the hilt of my sword so that I was at eye level with Northwind.

"Your reasoning is very wise Captain Rojo"

Northwind said with a smile. My jaw dropped in awe. Northwind smiled slyly

"Did you really think that I did not have the ability to read thoughts?"

She asked me mockingly. I shut my mouth and swallowed my fear. Instead of saying anything, I shrugged. Seeming to be satisfied with my response, Northwind walked to where Emperor was.

I ran over to where Northwind had stopped. She was looking into the Liquid that Emperor was in.

"Believe it or not, this was the first time that I had successfully done this."

Northwind said. There was an air of mystery that surrounded the area now. Northwind snapped her fingers. The snapping sound echoed off the solid walls in the room. I looked around expecting to see something amazing happen, but all that did happen was the light came back to the room. All the candles were lit again.

"What is going to happen now?"

I asked worriedly. Northwind did not turn around to look at me. She lifted her head to the far wall.

She made some more weird gestures with her hands and something amazing happened. To my amazement, a black rectangle formed at the end of the room. Northwind beckoned me with a handwave over to where the rectangle had formed. I blinked my eyes and my breath caught in my throat. Somehow, Northwind was able to move from right in front of me, to where the rectangle was.

_There's no possible way to explain this…_

I thought as I walked briskly over to where Northwind was. When I arrived where she was, she turned to look at me.

"You're one of the few Educated Ones right?"

She asked with a serious tone. I nodded slightly, not knowing what she was about to do.

"Then you should know what I'm about to do right?"

Northwind asked expectedly. I nodded slightly again.

"Good."

She said with finality. She was about to do something very dangerous, but something very beneficial. She was about to use the spell Recollection.

_This spell taps into the nerves and brain of the individual that it was targeted at, and seals itself in between the nerve endings. With this, the caster can project an image of a memory onto a flat surface. _

I recited in my mind. While I was reciting this in my mind, Northwind had already readied the memory reader.

"This will be…..hard to understand Rojo, but I need you to pay no attention to anything other than the parts where you are not present in the memory."

Northwind sighed. I just now saw that she looked to be in a sad state of emotion. I was stunned to see an individual of this importance in such an emotional state. She shook her head vigorously.

"Anyway, let's get back to the task that we were attending to"

She said as she turned back to the wall. A fuzzy image came into view on the wall.

"Can you make the image more clear?"

I asked Northwind. The image faltered. I turned to look at Northwind who was scowling at me.

"Hey, I didn't know if you could.."

I said defeatedly as I put my hands up in front of me.

"You acted before I could do anything Rojo."

She replied with some annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry"

I replied with a depressed voice. Then I was struck with a terrible thought.

"Wait!"

I practically screamed as Northwind continued trying to make the image clearer. Northwind yelped and she whipped around to see if there was anything that needed immediate attention.

"What? What is it, Rojo?"

She asked me tensely as she looked around the darkly lit room. Seeing nothing, she looked at me crossly once again.

"I have a question"

I said lamely. I looked at the ground, not wanting to see Northwind's expression.

"What...is...your...question?"

She asked me slowly. I could tell that Northwind was really angry.

"How is Emperor able to breathe?"

I asked with worry. Northwind sighed.

"You ask a very good question."

Northwind replied solemnly. I returned my gaze to the fuzzy picture on the wall.

"Unfortunately,"

She continued.

"I cannot tell you this at this point"

She finished with the mysterious tone again. She returned her attention to the wall. The image sharpened, and I could now see the Courthouse. Two individuals were walking up the road Emperor and I had walked not too long ago. The two yoshis that were walking were the colors were Gold and White. The time was late in the evening, the shadows casting their images across the land.

"I feel that there's a Great Evil among us"

The white one said. She was short and not very well built. She was very thin and not very tall. However, her voice was very smooth and reassuring.

"Nonsense Siren, my love"

The gold one replied still walking. His voice was deep and gravelly. The two walked up the steps and opened the door. They walked into the main room of the Courthouse and the two walked to the Conference Room. there, they continued talking.

"Chalice, I cannot ignore what the Higher Powers have been telling us"

Siren replied desperately.

"What else do I have to do to make sure that you take what they said seriously?!"

She said with the same desperation. Chalice sat with a composure of ease in the chair opposite of Siren.

"I have no doubt that what you are telling me is true Siren"

Chalice replied with an unimpressed tone. Siren sighed and got up from where she was seated.

Chalice did not move. Siren was about to say something when a loud, wailing siren stopped her. Chalice jumped out of his chair and ran to the door. Siren opened the door and the two of the ran outside to see what was going on.

"Oh,no"

Siren sighed. Chalice looked up to the late night sky. Chalice could see what Siren was seeing. Among the Lightning that was illuminating the land momentarily, He could see three figures on the ship. Chalice squinted his eyes.

"There are three individuals on the ship"

Chalice said without a care. Siren looked at Chalice.

"Your pride, ego, and Ignorance will be your downfall"

Siren cautioned. Chalice sighed and looked back at the ground and sighed softly. Suddenly, his head jerked up. Chalice whipped his head up to look at Siren.

"Where is the Anti-Matter Core, and Obsidian?"

Chalice asked quickly and worriedly. Siren's eyes widened, and she started running towards the castle, leaving Chalice in a state of wonder and worry.

He could see the ship now. It was made of wood and had cannons on all sides of the ship. Rotors were the form of suspension of the ship, which was odd for a form of suspension. A crash of thunder removed me from more speculation. I once again returned my gaze to the ship, which was now landing in the Courtyard. The turbulence did not move him much, but whipped trees, carts, and other objects around like child's toys. The three figures that I saw on the ship were now jumping off the deck onto the ground before me.

"Well, well, well….look who we have here"

A voice said mockingly. The voice came from the middle Individual. I prepared to fight. He moved his left foot back and his front foot forward. He shifted his position and his feet so that He was standing sideways, with my feet parallel to each other.

"We are not here for just our pleasure…"

The middle voice said soothingly.

"With your cooperation, we will get along just fine"

The same voice continued. Another flash of lightning illuminated the area I was looking at now. In that mere second of light, I could tell that the landing of that huge aircraft had destroyed much of the Royal Garden. I could see destruction on both sides of my vision. Then I noticed something that really caught my attention. Obsidian was One of the individuals that I was seeing before ME

"You seem Depressed and fearful to see me, Father."

Obsidian said with an evil sneer. Chalice was astounded.

"Don't look that fearful Father, you should've known that this would have happened by now."

Obsidian said with the same venomous hatred. He motioned to the others with his hand.

"When you abandoned me, I looked for some real people that would appreciate me for who I was"

He continued. Chalice had started to shift his weight and bounce in place as he held his stance.

"With my newfound friends….I pledged my allegiance to them, I also vowed that I would take my revenge for what you did."

Obsidian did not say any more. He sighed and looked back at Chalice.

"You had your chance to become more of a benefit to our place."

Chalice replied slowly. He did not know what to say or do.

"Well, it seems that All we need to do here is almost done"

The middle figure said with malice. Obsidian moved his head to the middle figure

"This is the friend that I found when you abandoned me."

He started to say. Chalice opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Obsidian.

"When I was left to die, This nice fellow Doctor Ivo "Robotnik" helped me back to health."

He explained. Chalice opened his mouth to speak again, but again he was cut off. Obsidian opened his mouth continue speaking, but he was cut off by the third figure.

"There is no need to introduce me. I can do my own works Abyss"

The third figure said. Another flash of lightning illuminated the area. During the flash, the figure disintegrated into dust. Another peal of thunder ripped through the area. Chalice looked around, but all of the figures had left him in the middle of the path. The ship was still in the middle of the Courtyard. Siren was running to the castle. She threw open the door, ran through the crowd of yoshis that were having a party, ran up the stairs, and ran down the Forbidden Hallway.

As she ran down the hallway, she was looking more desperate and scared with every step. Suddenly, she tripped over something and landed hard on her elbows. The object that she tripped over made a moaning sound. Siren whipped her head around to see what made the noise. She got up and looked around the hallway. Seeing nothing, she was about to continue running but was stopped by a request. A slumped figure was moaning softly.

"Marine!"

Siren exclaimed softly. She ran over to him. There was a knife in his shoulder. The knife had pierced through his shoulder and was now stuck in the wall. Marine looked up with tearful eyes. She could tell that he was going into shock. Blood seeped from the knife wound.

"Just leave me."

Marine said softly with a small pained smile. Siren shook him softly.

"I would NEVER leave any one of my friends, you know that Marine"

Siren said with courage. She patted Marine on the shoulder.

"This will only hurt for a moment, my child."

Siren said soothingly. Marine's head snapped up and he started to protest, but Siren held him to the wall. Siren put her right hand on the knife embedded in Marine's shoulder. She tightened the grip on the knife. She drew a deep breath and pulled the knife with all the strength she had. The knife came out easily, but Marine screamed in agony. Tears streamed down Marine's cheeks once more.

"Are you able to stand Marine?"

Siren asked. Marine nodded. He stood up and brushed the tears off his cheeks. He looked at the gash in his shoulder and winced.

"You have access to healing magic right?"

Marine asked with hope. He stared intently at Siren. Siren sighed and put both of her hands on Marine's shoulder that had the gash on it. There was a low glow of light as the open, bleeding flesh started to close in on itself. Marine made an attempt to look at the process, but Siren stopped him.

"You may not want to see this."

Siren said annoyed.

"Why not? I'm a soldier like the rest of the force Siren."

Marine replied with the same level of annoyance. Siren chuckled to herself.

"Because the first time that I healed Rojo, and he looked at what I was doing to him, he threw up."

Siren said with a little laugh. Marine looked like has was going to be sick. He swallowed hard and looked away from what Siren was doing.

"As I thought."

She said with finality. Now Siren looked concerned. She knew that Marine was just a soldier in training, but that it took a lot to take him out.

"What happened to you?"

Siren asked nervously. Marine looked even more nervous.

"I came over here to guard my post"

He started. Another flash of lightning illuminated the hallway, along with another low rumble of thunder. Worriedly, he looked to the end of the hallway. Seeing nothing unusual, he turned back to look at Siren.

"Then, I was about to go to sleep. As I was about to shut my eyes, this thing…"

Marine's voice trailed off. Siren wasted no time getting on with her mission.

"You can tell me as we go along"

Siren said as she continued to walk down the hallway. Marine jogged a little to catch up to her. They kept in step until they reached the end of the hallway. At the end of the hallway was a door.

"Danger, hazardous material beyond this point.."

Marine said reading the label on the door. Siren pushed open the door, and the two took in the scary sight.

"Oh, no.."

Siren moaned in disbelief. Marine's jaw dropped. Siren ran over to where the pedestal that held the Anti-Matter Core.

_The pedestal was empty._

Marine walked over the slumped bodies of individuals on the floor. Their blood staining the floor a deep Red. Marine had never seen blood before as a soldier. Siren slowly turned to look at something behind me. Captain Rojo entered the room. Marine shuddered. He looked at Rojo who was fuming with anger.

"What happened here!?"

Shouted Rojo. during Rojo's shout, Marine winced.

"You should be kinder to your soldiers Rojo."

Siren said softly. Rojo shook his head.

"They need to understand where their allegiance and leadership comes from."

Rojo replied sternly.

"That is no reason to treat your pupils like animals"

Siren replied with a hint of anger in her voice. Rojo looked at Siren with anger. Siren's Iris color turned Red. Rojo took a step back in fear. Siren started to walk towards Rojo. Rojo reached onto his back and drew his sword in fear. Rojo was sweating and shaking a little. Siren walked right past Rojo and out of the door. Rojo followed her in time with her movement and when she departed from the room, Rojo looked back at Marine.

"Clean up this mess."

Rojo commanded.

"Sir, yes sir!"

Marine replied, standing up to full height and saluting Rojo. Rojo ran out of the room, hoping to catch up to the enraged Siren. He ran down the hallway, down the stairs, through the people, and ran through the open door into the heavy rain. Siren was walking down the path into the CourtYard.

"Siren, wait up."

Rojo called to Siren. She turned around to look at who was calling to her. Her red eyes glowing in the darkness. A strong wind picked up and sent more objects sailing across Rojo's field of view. The wind died down and Siren was gone. Cannon shots resounded and houses exploded. Sirens sounded, signaling a time of Military Respondents. I knew that I had to go to the Battle House, but I felt there was a stronger need somewhere else.

Venom could most likely take care of this

Rojo thought to himself. Suddenly, a soft voice sounded from behind him.

"Warp"

The voice said. Rojo's view changed and a bright white light filled my view. Rojo closed his eyes tightly to ward off the great light. The light receded and I was now in the Royal Egg Room. It was humid, smelled strongly of straw and hay, and the only light available was from the small hole in the ceiling. There was only one egg in the center of the room. It had a base green color with gold spots on it. I only knew of this place because I was hatched here.

"Captain Rojo"

The voice addressed me. Rojo knew that he was about to be in trouble because my rank was said strongly and with stress. Rojo turned around slowly and sighed when he saw who it was that was behind him.

"Siren, you scared the life out of me!"

Rojo breathed. Siren did not look impressed.

"If that was the case, you would have been a lifeless heap on the floor."

She replied mercilessly. Rojo looked at the floor in shame.

"Anyways, I brought you here for a very specific reason."

Siren said with her mysterious tone. Rojo saluted Siren.

"Your wish is my command dear Queen"

Rojo replied professionally with the salute. Siren chuckled a little.

"There's no need to be formal in a time of war Captain."

She said quickly. She sighed and turned away from Rojo.

"There's a special project that I would like your help on."

Siren said with a hint of sadness. Rojo looked out the window from where he was standing. The rain and wind had not let up at all.

"I would like to ask if you would like to fight for our people again."

Siren said slowly. Upon hearing this, Rojo felt sick. Siren turned back around to look Rojo in the eye. Rojo was still intimidated by the red irises of Siren, but he mustered enough courage to keep his eye contact. Rojo did not know what to say. The last time that he was in battle, he had almost died. Not even in the most normal of ways either.

"Do you believe that you could do battle again?"

She asked with stress in her voice.

"Of course I would. If my Queen requests it, I will do battle."

Rojo replied with a smile.

"Good. Then you will help in the battle separate from here."

Siren responded.

"Separate from here?"

Rojo asked. Siren nodded.

"There will be a battle not far from here. You will help my son and you will be amazed by what he can do."

She said. There was a faint glow from the far left side of the room. Rojo walked over to the glow and Siren followed.

"Is this the Reborn that you told me about?"

Rojo asked with complete wonder. Looking at it filled the both of them with wonder. It was glowing a Blue-Green color and its eyes looked like gemstones.

"This was the weapon that was designed by the High Chameleon Council for my son"

Siren breathed. For a little while, no one said anything. The two just looked at the Reborn with wonder.

"Do you know the capabilities of this weapon?"

Rojo asked. Siren said nothing. Instead, she walked over to the egg that was now hatching. Rojo ran over to see the new hatchling trying to break out of the egg. Shards of eggshell fell to the ground as the hatchling climbed out of the top of the egg and fell a very short distance to the ground.

"Ain't that a cute little thing"

Rojo whispered cheerfully. The hatchling could not open its eyes at all due to the sticky substance that was in the egg. The hatchling looked funny to Rojo. It looked disproportionate with the large cheeks and nose, which was considerably larger than the rest of the hatchling's body. Siren bent over to receive that hatchling into her hands. She started licking the substance off of the hatchling, to which Rojo retched. Siren stopped licking the hatchling and looked at Rojo.

"Do you have a problem with me caring for my hatchling Rojo?"

She asked him, looking at him with a dangerous stare.

"I have never seen this kind of thing before Siren."

Rojo said putting his hands up in defeat.

"I thought you would have."

Siren replied. She went back to attending to her hatchling.

"The only thing that could have made this event better, is if Chalice would see this."

Siren said wistfully. The hatchling was now clean. The hatchling was a deep Green color.

"A Deep Green!?"

Rojo exclaimed running over to see the hatchling closer. It had just opened its eyes. They were normal….except for the fact that this hatchling had Vertical Slitted Pupils.

"I don't know about this one Siren."

Rojo said slowly. Siren looked at the hatchling.

"What makes this hatchling not viable like the rest of them?"

She replied smartly. Rojo laughed to himself.

"Generally, I see that most of our population has the Diurnal Pupil Structure."

He replied. Siren set the hatchling on the ground and then looked at Rojo.

"I need you to leave now, ok?"

She asked him. Rojo nodded and was about to leave the room when the door burst open. Rojo drew his sword lightning fast.

"It's about time that I found this place"

A sinister, familiar voice stated. Siren and Rojo looked at the figure that was in the doorway. Siren readied a spell.

"Calm down you two, it's just me."

The voice said. Venom entered the room. He looked at Rojo and then Siren, who was giving Venom a death stare.

"Don't get your scales out of line princess"

Venom said with a little laugh. Siren opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Venom

"There's a huge problem outside."

Venom said with desperation. Venom looked at the hatchling, then to Siren. Venom took a knee before Siren.

"Is this the heir to the throne my Queen?"

Venom asked will all sincerity. Siren looked confused. Venom looked up, hoping to see Siren in a positive attitude. Venom was now confused as well. Then Siren looked crossly at Venom.

"This is the heir."

She said definitively. Venom bowed his head and stood back up.

"If you don't mind, would you come with me?"

Venom asked politely. Siren put the hatchling in the straw.

"His name will be Emperor"

She said.

"Fine and dandy, now come on!"

Venom and Rojo said at the same time. The two of them looked at each other in amazement. Siren reluctantly left the room. The three ran back through the hallway, to the CourtYard.

"Where is your problem located Venom?"

Siren asked with curiosity. She looked at Venom, who was shifting uneasily

"It's at the Black Mesa Plateau"

Venom said reluctantly in between breaths. Siren stopped dead in her steps. She turned her head slowly to look at Venom, who had stopped in his tracks. Siren's stare burned into Venom.

"What….did you just say?"

She said with seething anger. Venom was not afraid of the storm, wind, or the blowing objects in the wind. He was now afraid of what Siren was going to do. Rojo looked around the area, seeing nothing new, he listened in on what Siren and Venom were talking about.

"Black Mesa Plateau is a very dangerous place!"

Siren exploded. Venom laughed nervously

"What were you even doing there anyway Sergeant Venom?"

Siren asked with the same anger that she held. Venom did not break eye contact. Siren raised her left hand and Venom flinched.

"Warp."

She said quietly. Rojo looked at Siren, who was cupping her hands out in front of her. An orb of light appeared in her hands, of which, turned into Emperor. She placed him on the ground and started another dangerous spell.

_Fast Forward?_

Rojo breathed to himself. This could end in one of two ways. The first way was Siren being able to complete the spell and losing most of her physical strength. The second way this could end would be Siren not being able to complete the spell and killing the hatchling trying to cast the spell.

"Stand back all of you."

Siren commanded the two. Rojo and Venom took a few steps back. She started to move her hands in an odd way. This was the first part. As she moved her hands, a blue-green substance started causing lines that arranged themselves into a timeline.

"You will take care of him for me, wouldn't you Rojo?"

Siren asked sadly. Rojo was taken off guard. She was almost never emotional. Rojo looked at Venom, who was staring incredulously at Siren, who had taken the worst path of this spell. Siren was slowly disintegrating into dust. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and a smile that was piercing through her obvious pain. The hatchling looked up at her.

"Fast Forward."

She said. The hatchling fell to the ground slowly. Then the changes started. The hatchling stood up, something that did not happen until a half revoltion of age. The hatchling grew in size rapidly, gaining muscle, mass, and intelligence. The Reborn appeared on the hatchling's back. Rojo and Venom were astounded. The grown yoshi did not look at them because it was focused on the deep blue orb that was being created by the dust of Siren.

"I will never desert those who were faithful to me."

Siren's voice said sadly. The orb slowly made its way to the child's right eye. The orb stopped right in front of the right eye of Emperor. The orb was pulsing now. Siren's face appeared in the orb, her face wavering in the pure power of the orb.

"You are my son, loved by many….I have approved you in my name."

Siren said lovingly to Emperor. A single tear fell from Emperor as the orb went into his right eye. Rojo and Venom looked at Emperor in awe and wonder. Emperor stood up to his new height and looked at Rojo and Venom. Emperor was radiating a small blue aura in his right eye.

"I do now know either of you, but I can assure you that I will help the both of you."

Emperor said. Rojo and venom looked at each other, then looked back at Emperor.

"We have work to do; Let's Go!"

Shouted Emperor as he took off running. He started with so much force, that he left a little crack in the ground from his launch force.

"We….should go."

Rojo slowly as he prepared his launch.

"Yeah, we should"

Venom agreed with a little laugh as he prepared his launch.

_Yoshis have a very significant amount of muscles in their legs. When a yoshi launches, the force from the launch travels up the spine, and into the neck, which is not very strong. Therefore, it is important to keep your head down, and your feet parallel when you launch. Remember to keep your launching foot in the back so that you don't slip when you launch._

This was Rojo's thought as he went through the motions with Venom. They took off running.

Black Mesa Plateau is far from here, but by running, it should not be a long time before we get there.

Venom thought to himself as he ran, dodging various blowing objects from the wind and destruction of battle.

"Zero to Eighty Miles Per Hour in 3.2 seconds"

Rojo said jokingly as he kept pace with Venom. Venom knew this phrase well, for he was the one who created this phrase. Venom only said this as a joke, but it became a real test.

_This was the hardest Physical Training test that the Yoshi soldiers had to do. In order to stay in the Island Defense Force, you needed to take an Acceleration Test. _

Venom did a quick calculation in his head as he ran along.

_A=Dv/Dt=D2r/Dt^2. Where Dv was the initial change of the object (Me) where Dt is the difference between the initial speed and the final speed of the object. Since my initial speed was O Meters Per Second and my final speed should be 80 Meters Per Second, and my available time to reach this speed is 3.2 seconds, I should be accelerating 25 Meters Per second Squared._

When venom figured this out, he nearly tripped and fell. Images of what he used to see every day blurred into smudges as he ran to the destination. Rojo and Venom ran most of the night and did not stop until the two reached Black Mesa Plateau, where they finally collapsed in exhaustion. The two of them looked at the change in scenery while they laid on the ground. The scenery changed from lush green, with lots of trees, grass and blue skies with little amounts of clouds, to a reddish color with almost nothing but bare ground with skeletons of various creatures. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Rojo and Venom heard crunching sounds, causing the two of them perfectly still in fear.

"Don't worry you two, it's just me."

A voice said. Rojo looked over to see the child.

"Oh thank the sky it's you, Emperor."

Rojo said with a sigh. Emperor put out his arm and helped the two to their feet.

"Where are we supposed to go now?"

Venom asked Emperor. Emperor pointed to a large, black plateau

"There is our destination."

Running was heard in the distance. The three turned to look at the figure that was coming at the three with breakneck speed.

"Is that..?"

Venom started to ask as the figure blew past them with a black blur. Emperor knew who this was, for the figure made eye contact with him as the figure ran by. The figure was running towards a large stone staircase that led up to the Black Mesa.

"We best be getting a move on."

Emperor declared. The others nodded and set off at a brisk pace to the stone staircase. The walk was not very long, but the group was starting to get hungry.

"Does anyone have anything on them?"

Rojo asked. Emperor stopped and produced some watermelons

"Where did you get those?"

Venom asked with a laugh. Emperor was confused, but he gave them the watermelons

"I have no idea."

He admitted. The others ate their watermelons quickly and looked at the staircase. The clouds were over the party now.

"Well, I guess this is it."

A voice said defeatedly behind the party. Rojo, Emperor, and Venom looked behind them.

"What are you doing here Marine?"

Rojo asked in wonder. Marine looked at the ground and scuffed his boot on the ground.

"Am I not supposed to be here?"

He asked softly. Rojo looked at Venom, who shrugged.

"Well, since you're here, you could help us in battle."

Rojo said slowly while turning to the bottom of the stairs.

Marine's eyes lit up with sheer delight. He jumped a little when a huge peal of thunder ripped through the area. The party started walking up the stone staircase. The air grew colder as they climbed the huge stairs. Marine looked over the side of the staircase, which he regretted soon after.

He threw up over the side of the staircase. Rojo laughed.

"Not used to going up high Marine?"

Venom said with a little laugh. Marine retched and threw up some more. Emperor handed Marine a towel to wipe his mouth on.

"Thanks."

Marine said with gratitude. Emperor helped him up and continued the long walk up the staircase. The higher they went, the colder it got, to which, Marine started to complain and complain….and complain. Venom started to become annoyed with Marine. Soon, Rojo had enough too.

"Shut UP!"

Rojo shouted. Marine fell silent and the team slowly made their way to the top of the plateau. Then they saw what exactly they were up against.

"Nothing's here?"

Venom asked the empty plateau.

"That was very anti-climactic."

Marine complained. Emperor could feel that something was off about the place. It was as if sound and life ceased to exist on this plane of existence.

"I never thought that you would've looked looked for me here."

A voice said through the silence. Everyone looked around to see if anyone was with them. No one could see anything...Except for Emperor. A slow wind blew over the plateau. The wind turned into visible streams of vapor, and they swirled together to form the body of a sinister figure that the three of them knew all too well.

"Happy to see me, guys?"

The figure said with that evil, entitled, malicious voice as he turned around to reveal who he was.

"Abyss."

Rojo, Emperor, Venom, and Marine said together.

"I suppose that you're looking for something Marine."

He taunted, getting ready to take something out. He flicked his finger and the Artifact fell into Abyss's hand.

"Oh no."

Marine moaned in disbelief. Abyss held the object up to his face in a mock study of the object.

"This is the Anti-Matter Core if I'm not mistaken, right Emperor?"

Abyss asked Emperor. Emperor's breath caught in his throat. It was just now that he started to wonder how and why he existed. He didn't know what to do or say, what to do, or what think.

"I think that I'll be Relieving you of your duty Marine."

Abyss said with a vicious sneer that showed fangs in his evil smile. Abyss laughed that sinister, blood curling maniac laugh that he knew how to do so well. He was now tossing the Artifact in his right hand as he looked at Emperor.

"So this is the so-called heir to the throne?"

Abyss asked with mock interest. Emperor was getting agitated real quickly. Emperor drew the Reborn off his back.

"Not so fast my dear brother."

Abyss said with a mocking voice. He opened the Anti-Matter-Core and lifted the bottle to his mouth. Black sinuous liquid moved slowly from the glass to Abyss's mouth. The party was astounded that they were watching something that was about as good as a purposeful suicide.

Emperor felt sudden compassion for Abyss.

"Stop!"

Emperor shouted to Abyss. He did not stop drinking the liquid until the bottle was empty. Abyss looked at Emperor. Suddenly, his demeanor changed; it was as if Abyss was being controlled by something...Emperor moved close to Abyss, who was twitching uncontrollably. He put both arms on Emperor, while the others just stared at Abyss in amazement.

"Run! Run away from me"

Abyss whispered to him.

"You don't have much time, and I don't want to hurt you"

He continued. Emperor didn't trust Abyss, but he could feel the compassion radiating from him. Without warning, a black mist swirled around Abyss, throwing Emperor back to where the others were. The mist gradually grew in size and power until a bright orb appeared in the center of the black twister that enveloped Abyss. A symbol appeared in the orb.

"No way….A Demonic Reversion?!"

Marine exclaimed over the howling winds. Rojo and Venom gripped their swords tight in fear.

The symbol was Blue, Black and Red and it glowed for a second and then disappeared. The wind slowly died down, but a rising scream was now ripping through the area. Then a bright white light blanked everything out. The light Receded slowly and the team rubbed their eyes to get the flashing lights, stars and blinking objects out of them. Abyss was still in the center of the vortex, but the vortex was slowly dissipating. When the tornado had fully dissipated, Abyss laughed again.

"The power is consuming him! We need to save him quickly!"

Emperor cried to Rojo. Rojo sheathed his sword and walked to where Emperor was standing.

He put his hand on Emperor's right shoulder and looked Emperor in the eyes.

"There's no saving him now."

Rojo said softly. Emperor looked back at Abyss.

"This is not my brother. He's way better than this. He's much nicer than this. He's….."

Emperor could not reason anymore. His friend was gone, and there was no way he could save him either. Emperor shook his head, sending a few tears over the ground. Emperor looked at Rojo again.

"Are you sure that there's no way we can save him?"

Emperor asked with a trace of hope. Rojo looked at Abyss who was glowing a deep purple color. His eyes were slowly turning pitch black. Venom sighed heavily

"If he doesn't put the bottle into his chest to complete the transformation, we'll most likely be able to save him."

Venom once again looked at the monster that was standing in the middle of the plateau. Blades were starting to grow out from the spaces between Emperor's fingers. He started to wince and groan as the blades cut through the scales. Blood started to seep from the wounds. Emperor did not care about the pain, but what he had to do now did. Abyss rose the Artifact into the air...And plunged the object into his chest. The wall image suddenly went out.

_Thump._

Northwind fell to the ground, and the room went into chaos.


	5. Chapter 4 (NewFound Power)

Chapter 4 NewFound Power

Northwind's P.O.V.

"Northwind!"

Rojo exclaimed in fear. Rojo ran over to me. He knelt quickly and put his hand on my neck. There was a weak pulse that pushed his fingers back. Rojo could not do anything to help me, as this was caused by a severe lack of Spirit Energy.

Spirit Energy is the amount of magic that lives inside of a Righteous individual. This magic is increased by good deeds and by helping others.

Rojo remembered as he decided what to do next. Then he remembered what else he was missing.

Rojo snapped his fingers.

"Emperor!"

He said nervously to himself as he took off running to the square. He looked into the water, which was boiling furiously. Bubbles rose to the surface and popped, but Emperor was still not moving,

And there were NO bubbles coming from Emperor's mouth or nose.

Rojo plunged his hand deep into the water but immediately regretted it.

"Ouch!"

Rojo yelped as he drew his hand back out of the water. The water was superheated by something Rojo could not figure out. Scrabbling sounds came from behind Rojo. lighting fast, He drew his sword and faced…

"Northwind?"

Rojo asked in complete wonder. I smiled weakly. I was in pain.

"Yeah, it's me."

I replied weakly. I looked at Emperor who was in the boiling water.

"Is Emperor going to survive?"

Rojo asked fearfully, looking at me. I smiled weakly again.

"Everything is a process, Rojo, very soon you will see the fruits of all of our combined works"

I said with a little bit of anger. The water slowly stopped bubbling, then it was clear and smooth as glass. Emperor started to move….slowly. A groaning sound came from the water. I smiled at Rojo, who looked in disbelief at what he was seeing. Emperor was moving to break the spell that was confining him to the water box. He was trying very hard to break himself out of his confinement. The water slowly started to solidify into a clear material. A bluish light started to glow from under the water. Rojo braced for an explosion. The groaning turned into a fierce yell as the water exploded into millions of tiny shards that flew everywhere. Emperor jumped high into the air. He landed with a loud thud on the floor, leaving small indents in the rock where his feet landed. Emperor looked at Rojo. Blades started to come out of the space in between his fingers and right iris was glowing a Deep Blue. He had gained a great amount of muscle mass. He now also had short fangs that were barely visible by looking from the front of him. Emperor shook his head at Rojo.

"Why did you let her keep me in that stupid box?"

He asked with annoyance. Rojo was nervous now.

What did she do to create something as scary as this?

He asked himself. I laughed and looked at Rojo. I created a magic spear to lean on and leaned on it to keep my weight off my feet. While I leaned on the light Blue spear, Rojo looked at me. He saw the light blue spear was obviously made of magic. The spear was about three feet long and was glowing a faint Blue.

"Now let the battle commence."

I declared. Emperor and Rojo snapped their heads to look at me.

"What did you say?"

Emperor asked in disbelief. Rojo looked at Emperor who had the same bewildered look on his face.

"I want to see what my efforts have done to the King"

I said with a smug smile on my face. The ground rumbled and a wall of rock started coming up from the ground. Lines started appearing on the ground around Emperor and Rojo.

The wall, when it was finished rising, was six feet in height. There was a hole in the ceiling now, from where the stalactites used to be.

"Stand where the back lines are. They are a Red color, and will be your starting point for this battle"

I commanded. Rojo and Emperor did what they were told, but Rojo walked to his line slowly. He did not want to fight Emperor. He was supposed to be Emperor's mentor, not his opponent. Rojo stood on his line. His breathing was getting quick and erratic with fear. With trembling hands, Rojo drew his sword. He looked across at Emperor who slowly drew the Reborn off of his back with the same trembling hands. Rojo held his sword out to Emperor like he was saluting him or something. Emperor unfurled the Reborn. The Reborn glowed with the Blue-Green light of the Undecided Art.

"Let the battle commence!"

I declared. My voice boomed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls. Rojo and Emperor launched forwards, the both of them running straight for each other. Rojo slid across the rocks and angled his sword that it was horizontal in orientation. Emperor saw this and bent over backward, the sword just barely missing its mark. Emperor leaned forward to balance himself but tripped and fell flat on his face. Rojo slid to a stop and launched towards where Emperor was lying. Rojo jumped into the air. Emperor rolled over and saw Rojo barreling towards him.

"Velocity"

Emperor shouted. He rolled so fast, that he was up and ready to counter the attack before Rojo hit the ground. Rojo impacted the ground close to where Emperor had rolled from, however, this move was very bad for Rojo, as his sword was now stuck in the ground. Emperor turned around to strike Rojo. Rojo turned in time to see a strike heading right for him. Rojo ducked under the Reborn's stab and gave Emperor an uppercut that sent him high into the air. Rojo tried to pull his sword out of the ground, but still, couldn't. I could see that Rojo was tiring already. Emperor had landed on the other side of the arena, sprawled on his back. Rojo was able to pull the sword out of the ground. He turned to walk towards Emperor, but he was gone… Rojo looked around tensely. His grip tightened around the sword's hilt. A flash of Blue illuminated the battlefield. Rojo turned to see Emperor holding the Reborn to his nose.

"Put...the…. weapon... down"

Emperor said between huge breaths. Rojo sighed. He dropped the huge sword he was holding on the ground. He looked completely defeated with that depressed look on his face. I chuckled to myself at Rojo's reaction. A noise came from behind me.

Scrabbling rocks?

I thought to myself as I looked behind where I was standing and gasped in surprise at who I was looking at. I kneeled before the one that was standing before me.

"Grandmaster! It's a pleasure to be in your midst!"

I said with a wavering, excited voice. This was the first time that he had shown himself in a week. I was so happy to see him because I always got along with him for some reason. He had treated me so well, I felt like a daughter to him. He also had this really kind soft voice like the one Siren possessed. The thought of Siren made me sad. It had not even been a week since the horrible war had destroyed our island chain.

"Why are you looking so depressed young one?"

Grandmaster asked me. I looked up.

"I was merely thinking about the war."

I replied with a hint of sadness in my voice.

"Stand up young one. You have given me the proper greeting already"

Grandmaster told me as he helped me up from kneeling. He brushed the dirt off my knees. Then his attention turned to look at Rojo and Emperor who were trading blows in the arena. Grandmaster looked upset. His left eye glowed orange and a weird object materialized above his head. His hand was raised up as the object continued materializing. When the object was done materializing, I gasped in shock. The object that was materializing was commonly known as a "Dragon Shot" or "Deathbringer".

"Emperor, Rojo! Look out!"

I shouted at the two who were still fighting. The object made a weird charging sound as a small orange ball appeared in its mouth.

Ku-ing

"Fire"

Grandmaster commanded.

POW

The object opened its mouth and a deep orange stream erupted from its mouth. The stream raced towards the two on the ground. The room faintly glowed a faint Orange as the energy barreled towards the two. Emperor looked up when he heard a shot. He gasped in surprise and jumped back in time to see the shot impact the ground in front of him. The shot blinded Emperor and he landed hard on his back, which knocked the wind out of him. I looked at the scene that Grandmaster created.

"What have you done!?"

I screamed at him. Grandmaster did nothing as I jumped from the ledge to the floor. I impacted the floor hard. I must not have landed like I was supposed to because I twisted my foot when I landed. Ignoring the searing pain in my foot, I ran over to Rojo first. I checked his pulse by putting two fingers on his neck. There was a pulse, but it was weak. Then I ran over to Emperor who was already rubbing his head. I knelt by his side. I could see some of his scales were melted. Emperor shook his head vigorously as if to be shaking something off of him.

"I must have been hit pretty hard. What did I get hit by?"

Emperor asked me through clouded eyes. I felt really bad for him.

"It was him."

I said as I pointed to the ledge that I jumped from, But there was no one there. I looked back at Emperor who was looking at me with a confused stare.

"But he was...was right there!"

I stammered. Emperor looked at me funny.

"I know that we've been through a lot recently, but has it dawned on you that you've been acting the weirdest of all the individuals that I've known so far?"

Emperor asked me. He narrowed his eyes.

"I'd hate to think that you're someone that I cannot trust."He told me with an air of untrust. The door to the room burst open and the wall started receding into the ground. I ran back over to Rojo to help him up, but he was already standing as well. He was barely standing, unable to keep his balance by himself. He would have fallen over if I had not rushed to his side. The wall was receding into the floor when I beheld who had burst through the door. It was Cynder, and like the usual, was not happy.

"I leave to run some errands, and come back to more destruction!?"

Everyone was silent. No one knew what to say or do. Emperor opened his mouth to speak, but got over spoken by Cynder.

"Does anyone have anything to say?!"

She shouted. Emperor stood straight and looked at Cynder with an intense stare. Flames were licking the sides of her mouth. She was unfurling her wings as well. Emperor had a flashback. It was odd since I was seeing it too. It was when Abyss was going through the Demonic Reversion process.

He probably saw this since Cynder looked a lot like Abyss when he was possessed by the Anti-Matter-Core.

I thought to myself.

"I have something to say."

Emperor declared. Rojo looked in disbelief at him.

"You really want to challenge the Queen?"

Rojo asked with awe. Cynder snorted, sending bits of flame onto the floor.

"You really want to challenge me?"

Cynder asked with a venomous sneer. Emperor nodded.

"Very well my may do battle if the Queen wishes it"

I declared before Cynder could speak again. The wall was rising from the ground once more. Lines appeared on the floor. Rojo and I jumped over the wall.

Anyone that is in the Battle Arena has to do battle whether they like it or not. Battles increase strength, dexterity, forward planning, and perception. It is for this reason that everyone that is in that area must do battle.

I remembered. I stood on the ground thinking about this when Rojo tapped me on the shoulder.

"Aren't we supposed to be somewhere special when we watch these battles?

He asked me excitedly. I chuckled to myself.

Rojo is always so eager to fight or to watch fights .

I told myself happily. I took his arm and led him up to the ledge I was standing on. When we were there, Emperor and Cynder were already at the Battle Lines. Rojo was looking down at the Battle

Arena.

"It's really cool to see individuals fighting from this view."

Rojo commented wistfully. I was concerned for Rojo, since he was still leaning on his sword heavily. I knew that Rojo was very strong, but what would happen to Emperor? What wounds would he take in this battle?

These questions flew in my head as I got ready to start the next battle. Cynder materialized a spear in her left hand. Emperor drew the Reborn off of his back. He ran his hand along the Reborn, unfurling it to its full length once again. I raised my right arm.

"Let the battle begin"

I declared. Rojo gazed intensely at the battlefield. Emperor and Cynder launched from their starting positions. Cynder smiled and threw a green orb at Emperor. Emperor dodged the orb and and chose a Sacred Art. A Purple flash illuminated the room for a split second.

"I love seeing Emperor wield the Reborn."

Rojo marveled.

"He's so graceful and his combinations are even better!"

He continued. I said nothing. I was too scared to say anything. Emperor swung the Reborn forehand. Cynder blocked the blow. The spear shattered and Cynder was sent halfway across the Arena still on her feet. She skidded all the way. She shook off the blow and created another spear. Emperor took off again. He curled the Reborn back into a circle and threw it like a Boomerang. Cynder looked at the object that was barreling towards her. She ducked under the Reborn and ran towards Emperor. While she was running, she threw spears at him. Emperor followed the Reborn as it went on its way back to him. Emperor saw the spears and expertly dodged every single one of them. The Reborn was flying towards him. He calculated the time that he could catch it and avoid Cynder's spears. He caught the Reborn and blocked a spear that almost went into his chest. The area flashed purple for a second. The Sacred Art Damage had ended. Emperor went into a defensive stance. Cynder threw her last spear at Emperor. She was breathing deeply and had sweat on her head.

"Why don't you give up already?"

Cynder asked Emperor. Emperor did not respond. He unfurled the Reborn once again.

"Armor!"

Emperor shouted. Cynder smiled. She knew that the Sacred Art Armor made Emperor slow, but greatly enhanced his ability to take damage and to block or parry shots. Cynder jumped into the air and let loose a stream of fire. Emperor stood without moving. Cynder burned a circle of fire into the ground where Emperor was standing. The flames rose high around Emperor. He started to panic. He looked all around him, looking for any place of escape, but found none. He had never seen this attack before, but he knew how to counter the attack. Emperor put the Reborn on his back and he took a deep breath. Cynder landed on the ground with a triumphant laugh.

"Where's your power now?"

She taunted him with a smile. Emperor looked through the flames, which made his vision waver. There was no way that he could escape. The fire continued to burn as Emperor continued to think about his options. Cynder prepared more spears. Emperor looked at Cynder with a smile.

"I'm not done yet, and I will last as long as you try to kill me"

Emperor replied breathlessly. Cynder looked incredulously at him. She then narrowed her eyes in anger. A spear dropped into her hand.

"Then see how long you can last against these".

she said seething with anger. As she threw the first spear, Emperor drew the Reborn off of his back. This spear was new in color. As it sailed through the air, it shone with a brilliance that rivaled gold. The spear was thrown with the point facing away from him. I was continually getting more and more nervous. Emperor had already been through a battle. This one, brought on by anger, was pointless. Rojo could see the mounting fear in me. He tapped my shoulder.

"Is something wrong Northwind?"

He asked me with concern. I said nothing. I was fixated on the battle that raged below me.

How could two individuals possess this much power?

I asked myself in complete wonder as I continued watching the fight. I could feel Rojo staring at me waiting for an answer.

"I'm fine. I'm just watching the battle."

I replied to Rojo. This was both a lie and a truth. I could only tell what others needed to know and nothing else.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

Rojo pressed. I shifted my gaze to look at him. I gave him an annoyed stare, to which, he looked back at the battlefield. The spears continued to be thrown at Emperor. He had blocked every shot so far, even with a sight disadvantage from being in the circle of fire that was slowly closing in on him. I could see the reflection of the fire in his scales. Every time a spear impacted the Reborn, the spear shattered, and shards of the spear flew throughout the area. These shards eventually became a liquid that seeped into the ground. Cynder was obviously becoming very impatient with the battle. I also noticed that the gold spears that Cynder threw at Emperor were reversing the direction that they were thrown in. Cynder stomped her foot on the ground.

"Why won't you just quit already!?"

She screamed at him. Then she fell silent and still. Emperor's right eye was was glowing a soft Blue. he snapped his fingers, and the fiery column that surrounded him vanished. A yellow flash illuminated the area.

"Why, if you are my friend, are you trying so hard to kill me?"

He asked as he threw the Reborn to the ceiling. He followed the movement of the sword until it lodged into the ceiling. The Reborn tried to return to Emperor, but couldn't.

"If you so wish to kill me, then do so. I have no way of defending myself."

Emperor declared as he spread his arms out to his sides. He was helpless. Rojo just stared open-mouthed at the scene before him.

"He really is taking a leap of faith isn't he?"

Rojo asked me. I said nothing. I could only just continue to watch this amazing event unfold before me. Cynder was internally torn. I could see her running through her options. She looked up at the Reborn, then at Emperor.

"You really have the belief that I would spare anyone?"

Cynder asked him as she stared him down. Emperor could only smile internally. It was only then I could see what Emperor was doing. It was the classic"I'm going to act defenseless, but then I pull a series of tricks that puts you in a corner" plan. Cynder materialized another green orb in her right hand and threw it at Emperor. This time, he did not dodge the orb that she threw at him. The orb impacted Emperor in the chest. The orb shattered into pieces and the liquid inside the orb seeped into his scales. Cynder laughed to herself.

"Now I have secured my victory, and you will lose...permanently."

She said as she prepared a fireball in her right hand. Emperor got ready to counter the attack and give his own. Cynder threw the fireball and I gasped in fear. The fireball rocketed towards Emperor, who smiled a little. Just as the fireball was about to hit him, he caught it in his hand and threw it up at the ceiling. The fireball hit the Reborn and ricocheted to the left. The Reborn fell towards the ground. Emperor caught the Reborn with his left hand, and the fireball with his tongue. Emperor winced in pain. The fire was obviously burning his tongue.

Would he lose tastebuds? Would he lose tongue tissue? Would anything worse happen?

These thoughts ran through my head as I saw Emperor blast the fireball back out of his mouth. Cynder reacted to the counter by raising her hand to the top of the room, her palm facing upwards. The fireball impacted the wall of spears Cynder had created. The fireball exploded into thick smoke. Cynder coughed heavily from breathing in the heavy smoke. Emperor lunged when he saw the fireball had hit. His left right eye started to glow Blue again. It illuminated through the heavy smoke. Emperor ran over to Cynder through the smoke. Without missing a beat, he tripped her by putting his right foot behind hers, and pushing hard on her right shoulder. She fell on her back with a thud that reverberated through the room. Then, Emperor quickly unfurled the Reborn and chose the Sacred Art Damage, As he plunged the Reborn into her chest.

(Emperor's P.O.V.)

I had resisted the sudden urge to kill my opponent. For some reason, I had had the urge to destroy things for some reason. I looked at where my sword(The Reborn) was. I had mustered the ability to move it two inches to the left of where my intended target was. The smoke had cleared from the area. I looked up to see Northwind looking at me with a mix of surprise and disgust.

Is she satisfied or disgusted that I had done so much damage?

I asked myself as I returned my gaze to the Reborn, which was now curled into its "Waiting Phase".

I looked to the other side of the Arena to break Northwind's powerful gaze. A figure phased through the far side of the arena. The individual was clapping, as if he approved of something. His scale color was Gold; A color that I had not seen actually living. I could tell that this individual was advanced in years by the dust that was coming from his scales as he walked over to me. His pace was fast, but his expression was that of a hawk; fierce, but beautiful and intriguing at the same time. The individual stood before me. He looked at me, then at Northwind and Cynder who was still laying on the ground. I opened my mouth to speak, but the Gold yoshi put his hand up to me, with the palm facing towards me. He silenced me without saying a word. Then he spoke.

"Northwind."

The Gold one started. Northwind quickly brought herself and her attention from caring for Cynder, to this individual's attention. Her eyes flashed blue for a second as if she knew this individual. I was captivated by the sheer wisdom that I could feel emanating from this individual.

"I need you to tell me why you were using this room for uses other than its intended purpose"

The gold one declared. Northwind looked at the ground.

"I wanted to assess the power of the magic that I had given to the King."

She replied sullenly. The Gold one walked over her. He angled her head up so that she was looking at him.

"Friendly competition is acceptable, but competition to ascertain power is not."

The gold one said. He looked at me.

"You must want to know who I am, right?"

He asked me. I looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"How do you know what i'm thinking?"

I asked him with contempt. He studied me closer.

"Why do you continue to question me, when you have the answers to your questions already?"

He asked me.

"Excuse me for not telling you my name."

He said with a laugh. I did not understand why he was so cryptic, but it bothered me for some reason.

"My name is Halcyon, but most people just call me Grandmaster. You must have noticed that I am a mentor to Northwind."

Halcyon bought Northwind to her feet.

"I have to show all of you something."

He said softly. He snapped his fingers and the wall disappeared from view. We walked in a line behind Halcyon to a staircase that was on the side of the room that we entered from, but did not see until Halcyon made it known.

"These stairs are very important. They lead to the High Council Members chamber room ."

Halcyon said as he stopped at the foot of the stairs. He then pointed at Rojo.

"You, however, need to stay on the bottom floor Rojo. You are needed to guard this premise."

Halcyon explained as he turned his attention back to the stairs.

"Northwind and Emperor, if you so wish to attend this very special event, you are welcome to accompany me."

He called as he started scaling the stairs. I started walking up the stairs. The first thing that I noticed was that there was not much head room. There was also a change in humidity as I scaled the stairs. I walked up the stairs not knowing what would await me at the top.


	6. Chapter 5 (The High Council)

Chapter 5 The High Council

Emperor's P.O.V

I was out of breath by the time I had reached the top of the stairs. Halcyon pulled me over the last stair, standing me before four individuals that each sat in very regal, lavish, and big chairs.

"The Council Members will rise in the presence of the Master."

The leftmost one declared. All of the individuals got out of their respective chairs and kneeled before Halcyon.

"Rise and greet our King"

He commanded the others. The four rose and formed a line. I could barely see their colors in the dim light that the candles casted in the room. Their colors were the rarest and most desired out of every yoshi family: Silver, Burgundy, a Deep Purple, and a Lime Green colored individual.

The first one in line shook my hand and bowed.

"Greeting my young king. I am known as Mercury."

The first one said. His voice was deep, but soft. He turned from me and walked back to his seat. He was not very well fed or very healthy. After I noticed this, it was then that I saw his iris color. It was a dull yellow color. It was just now that I noticed that the seats were labeled. The names were stamped into the sides of the seats. They were plates that looked to be made of brass or bronze. The second one walked up to me and bowed, then shook my hand as she greeted me. This was the Burgundy colored individual. She looked to be built powerfully and her handshake was firm and powerful.

"Greetings my King. I am Rose."

She walked to her respective chair. The next one in line introduced himself.

What happened to this one?

I asked myself as I got ready for my next greeting. The next one sauntered over to me.

"Sup? My name's Nightshade."

He said carelessly while flicking a tweed leaf that he had been chewing on at my feet. I did not particularly care for this one, but if he had made it to this rank, I felt that he was justified to make his actions. I was particularly interested why he was being so careless. While has was walking back to his seat, I studied Nightshade. He was about as tall as me. He had red irises and was a little overweight. He was not in shape and apparently was very lazy. The final one in line greeted me. He was taller than I was. He towered over me with his 6"4 height. He had blue Irised eyes and looked to be very well built muscle-wise. He spoke loudly, proudly, and had a sense of leadership in his voice when he spoke to me.

"Greetings my young King. it's very satisfying to be in your midst. My name is Lime."

He greeted my cheerfully. Halcyon led me by my arm to the center of the room. Northwind took a position next to the chair with Halcyon's name stamped above it. He walked quickly to the chair. He sat in it and leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees and so that his chin rested in his hands.

"There must be some reason that Northwind told you to be within our midst young King."

He stated. The others nodded in agreement. He looked at Northwind.

"This is true Halcyon."

Northwind confirmed. He looked back at me.

"What do you wish to ask of the High Council my King?"

Halcyon asked me professionally. I tried to speak but my breath caught in my throat. I was so amazed to be in the presence of the individuals responsible for the entire conduction of the island's daily tasks. All that came out of my mouth was a quiet wheeze. Halcyon snapped up from his lazy posture.

"Would someone get this young lad a Coconut and Pineapple juice mix?"

He called to the right of me. I looked over to the right of where I was to see what Halcyon was calling for. A bar appeared from the dark corner of the room. Suddenly, the entire room was illuminated by candles that radiated blue light.

"The usual Halcyon?"

A familiar voice called. Intrigued by my ability to recall things, I looked into the darkness and gasped when I saw who this individual was.

"Sunrise?"

I asked in disbelief. The individual looked up from causing the drink.

"Oh, no."

Sunrise moaned when he saw me. I walked over to the bar. I saw six stools available to sit on. I sat on the leftmost one. I heard walking sounds coming from behind me. I turned around in the chair to see the High Council Members walking over to where I was sitting. Each one sat down on a stool that had not been taken. Halcyon, Rose, Nightshade, and Mercury looked at Sunrise. He started to shudder a little.

"Anything else I can get you fine individuals?"

He stammered as he gave me my drink. The others looked at each other while Sunrise prepared the juicing tools with shaky hands. I took a sip of the drink that was given to me. The flavors were amazing! The Pineapple had gone perfectly with the Coconut and neither were overpowering. I found the urge to ask Sunrise a question.

"Why are you so scared Sunrise? I find these individuals to be kind and considerate."

I asked him.

He refilled my cup with the same liquid that he had poured for me earlier. Sunrise was getting anxious. I didn't know why I did this, but I thought the answer would come to me later.

"Is it ok that I switch places with you?"

I asked Sunrise. The others that were sitting on the stools stopped their conversations and slowly turned to look at me.

"Why did you ask that question Emperor?"

Nightshade asked me with a laugh as he spit another tweed leaf ball at my feet. I looked at him sternly.

"It was because he is scared to be in your presence. If you took your mind off of chewing tweeds and actually looked at the world around you, maybe you could see that, fasto."

I responded. Nightshade jumped out of his chair.

"You take that back you Deep Green Scum"

He shouted at me. Rose materialized a Deathbringer pointed at Nightshade and Mercury had a sword to Nightshade's back and Lime readied a shot from his gun sword. Northwind and Halcyon however, kept drinking their beverages without a care. Nightshade looked at me with a stare that could melt steel. No one moved for short amount of time until Halcyon finished his beverage.

"Y'all need to simmer down ok? Nothing good comes from aggravated actions."

He declared loudly. Nightshade spit in my face.

"If you think that I'm EVER going to do the likes of you, you're totally wrong."

He said mockingly as he sat back down on his stool.

"Nightshade, I'm going to have to have you come with me."

Halcyon told him as he got up from his seat.

"We're going to have a nice, long chat."

He said slowly. Nightshade slowly got up from his stool and followed Halcyon out of the room. As soon as the two left the room, Rose jumped out of her chair and started to clean my face with a towel that she had acquired.

"Don't mind Nightshade, he just needs some readjustments sometimes."

Rose said soothingly as she cleaned my face. I was about ready to kill Nightshade, but something kept me from doing just that. When Rose had cleaned my face she sighed.

"I never liked Nightshade either young one. I feel the same way you do."

Rose said with annoyance. Mercury sheathed his sword, Rose snapped her fingers and the DeathBringer vanished. Lime turned back around and placed the gun sword back on the table.

Sunrise was staring open-mouthed at the individuals that were before him. He shook his head to clear what he just saw out of his mind. He looked back at me.

"Do you really want to switch places with me even after I said something mean about your parents and brother?"

He asked incredulously. I nodded in confirmation. He sighed and exited the bar. I got up from my seat and walked around the bar and entered behind the bar. There were glass bottles behind me of many shapes and sizes.. Looking back at the individuals, I could see various fruits lined up under the upraised part of the bar. Mercury, Rose, and Lime were busy talking again. I looked at Sunrise.

"Is there a particular beverage you had in mind to drink Sunrise?"

I asked cheerfully. He cocked his head a little to left.

Is there that many options that you have to think about what an Individual wants to drink?

I asked myself as Sunrise continued to think. He stopped looking up at the ceiling. He looked at me with a smile on his face. I could tell that he was going to ask for something ridiculously hard to make.

"Could I have a Dragon fruit and Lemon smoothie?"

He asked with a huge smile. I sighed. I really did not know why others had to be so annoying, but I started with what I knew. I grabbed some Dragon Fruits and Some Lemons from the labeled cupboards that were over my head. I opened the blender's top that had appeared off to my left. I saw a knife in front of me on a cutting board. I looked at the knife. The handle of the knife looked like to be made of wood, as the moisture from the area had made it discolored with humidity. I picked up the knife, weighing it in my hand.

Is this really the best cutting tool that we have to cut things with?

I asked myself as I dropped the knife back on the table with a clatter. The other High Council Members looked at me with puzzled glances. Rose looked at Sunrise, who shifted uneasily in his seat. I focused back on the fruit in front of me. I could feel the blades emerging from the spaces between my fingers. I quickly looked down and rotated my hands a little to see the blades steadily growing. I suddenly had an amusing thought.

What if I could cut the fruit in the air with these blades?

I thought to myself as I picked up the fruit in front of me. Sunrise looked incredulously at my hands. He started to shudder again. I threw the fruit into the air. With lightning speed, I sliced the fruit into small pieces with the blades and the pieces fell back onto the table. I looked at Sunrise with a smug look on my face. Sunrise just sat there, openmouthed in awe. He quickly regained his composure and waved his hand, signaling me to move on. I retracted the blades and put the pieces in the blender. I studied the blender. There were blades in the bottom of the blender. These blades looked to be made of steel. There was a crank on the side that I could only guess was the way to make the blender work. I put the lid on the top of the blender and turned the crank. The blades started spinning and the fruit started to get sliced to a smoothie consistency. I only had to turn the crank for about ten seconds before the entire batch of fruit that I had put into the blender was completely blended. I found one of the glasses behind me and poured a cup of the mixture. I handed the smoothie to sunrise who took it with a gracious head bow. He raised the glass to his lips and tried some of the smoothie. He set the glass on the bar with a surprised whistle.

"That's actually not bad. Great work Emperor!"

He said with praise. The High council Members looked at what I had made.

"Do you have any more Emperor?"

Rose asked. She was clearly impressed with something that I had done, but what she was marveling at, I did not know. There was only one thing I could do now: respond. That was just what I did.

"I have a little more in the blender here High Council Member Rose."

I replied professionally. Rose looked at me with an annoyed face.

"You don't always have to address me with my name and rank Emperor."

She said with clear annoyance. I put my hands up in defeat.

"OK, OK. I get the hint Rose."

I said defeatedly. She pointed to the blender.

"Now could you get me some of that Dragon Fruit and Lemon smoothie? I can smell it all the way over here!"

She asked impatiently. I sighed and poured another glass of the smoothie and handed it to Rose. She took it graciously with a head bow as well. she downed the glass in two gulps. She then licked the excess bits of smoothie that were around her mouth with her tongue. Mercury, Lime, and Nightshade who had entered the room with Halcyon, laughed as well. Rose looked annoyed. She got up from her seat and left the room.


	7. Chapter 6 (Thorns of the Rose)

Chapter 6 Thorns of the Rose

Rose's P.O.V.

I could not stand most males of my species. They were not very smart, they make dumb choices, and they think that they are so much better than that of the females. I like to think that i'm causing a change with the rank that I had achieved not too long ago.

_Why is it every time that I use my tongue to get excess food that the others laugh at me?_

I asked myself as I walked past the stairs that led down to the Revelation Room. I was going to my Sleeping Chamber. Being with most of the males had taken a toll on my sanity and my mood. I needed to let my anger, frustration, and tension out before I made a mistake that costed me my position. I walked for some time until I came to a row of doors that spanned about Two-and-a-half feet across in width. I studied the door with the little light that came in through the ceiling. The doors were now made of wood.

_These doors were not made of wood before. What happened to make a change of the doors here?_

I asked myself as I looked in the almost complete darkness for my name.I spent some time in the darkness looking for my name that was supposed to be on one of the doors. I found my name after some time. It was the door on the very end of the left side. I opened the door and breathed in the scent of my room. I get my name from the various incenses that I make from natural plants. Needless to say, My favorite smell is that of the roses that come from my garden. I shut the door behind me and locked it. I fumbled in the darkness for the lamp that lit my room. I found it on the nightstand that was next to my bed. I formed a tiny fireball in my right rand. The lamp lit up, bringing its light to revive the room from the dreary darkness. I didn't need one of the idiots coming in and wrecking anything in my room. I walked over to my desk and sat in the chair. I Iet out the air that I had been holding. I surveyed my room, looking at the various flowers, model birds that I had made from wood, the pictures that Halcyon painted of me, my various awards I had won for events and battles, and then to my desk. It was then I had noticed there was a note on it. The note had a yellow color to it.

"Oh,no."

I moaned to myself quietly. With shaky hands I picked up the envelope. I looked at the seal on it. It was Red in color; the color that was used to signify important High Council matters. I used my index claw to slit open the note. I took the note out of the envelope and put it on the table in front of me. I didn't want to know what the note said, but I had to know since the information was important. I got up from the chair and paced in my room. Back and forth I paced until I could pace no more, I finally collapsed into my chair breathlessly. I looked at the note that was addressed to me. I started to open the note with a crinkling sound when there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

I called. I got a knife from my drawer just in case that I needed to use it.

"It's Halcyon."

The voice responded. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you OK Rose? You seemed really upset there at the table with the others."

His voice trailed off, muffled by the door that separated our conversation. I unlocked the door and stood in the doorway with the knife in my hand. Halcyon looked at the knife and sighed.

"You know, your lack of anger management skills will get you in trouble."

He said softly. I gripped the knife's hilt hard and turned around to throw the knife into the wall when Halcyon caught my arm. I Looked at him furiously.

"If you want to take your anger out, I have just the place for you to do so."

Halcyon said to me as he slowly took the knife out of my hand. I returned to standing in the doorway, looking at Halcyon with wonder now instead of annoyance. He smiled and started to walk away from where I was standing. I quickly locked the door behind me and ran to catch up to Halcyon who was now walking down the stairs that led to the Battle Arena. I caught up to him just as he reached the Revelation Room's base step.

"This way."

He directed me as he walked to the right. I noticed Rojo standing with a Sentry pose on the left as I walked with Halcyon to where Northwind had projected Emperor's memory on the wall. Halcyon muttered something under his breath as he felt along the wall for something. He found a small indentation in the rocks. He pressed his hand into the indentation, and a portion of the rocks rearranged themselves to from a nine squared number pad.

"Please do not look as I type in the password if you could be so kind Rose."

Halcyon asked me. I obeyed his command and looked at the Revelation Room. this was only the second time I had been here. This was a really beautiful place with the candles, the calm water, the surrounding rock structures, and the stalactites that hung from the ceiling.

"Follow me if you would."

Halcyon said. This broke me from my thoughts. I turned back around to see him walking down a long hallway that was lit with Blue Fire torches. I ran once again to catch up with him. The wall of rock slowly declined in height as we continued down the hallway. Shadows were casted with ghostly figures by the torches, adding to the hallway's atmosphere. We walked down the hallway together, not saying a word to each other When we reached the end of the hallway, we saw a double door that was marked Combat Training. Halcyon opened the door with his hand to reveal something that absolutely astounded me. Light flooded from the room into my eyes, temporarily blinding me as I stumbled through the door into the room. When my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I noticed that I was outside. It was then I realized That I had stayed up for an ENTIRE night without sleep.

I looked at the sunrise that sent beautiful streaks of Red, Orange, Pink, and Yellow across the cloudless sky. I took my gaze from the sunrise and l looked at the various training tools that were in the Combat Training area. Suddenly I heard something being thrown. I snapped my head to see a piece of wood barreling towards my head. I lifted my right leg and snapped the board with a heel strike. Following instinct, I immediately shifted into my fighting stance. This was standing sideways with my feet parallel to each other and bouncing on my heels. More objects were hurled my way. This time it was spears and wood. The spear was Yellow of color and was thrown sideways.

_The wood would hit me first_

I decided. This wood was in a plank shape, so I balled my hand into a fist and hit the plank so hard, it splintered on impact into a million pieces. I turned to my left, grabbed the spear and all of a sudden, two dummies appeared to my right and left. The first one threw a RoundHouse kick that I ducked. I impaled the one that tried to kick me in the head with a spear. I held onto the spear and pole-vaulted over the one that tried to kick me. The other one had a sword. That other dummy sliced the other dummy in half to reach me. The dummy brought the sword down to slice my head in half. I reacted fast enough to parry the blow with the spear. The dummy's sword went into the ground. I thrusted the spear into the dummy and threw the dummy with the spear as far as I could. A cannon shot resounded close to me. I whipped my head to see where the shot came from. The cannonball was racing for my face. I estimated when the cannonball would hit me. I put my hands to my right side so that I could catch the cannonball. Just as it was about to hit me, I grabbed the cannonball just barely and with all my strength, hurled the cannonball with all my might back where it came from. I was breathing heavily now as I watched the cannonball impact the cannon. It hit so hard, the cannon exploded. I felt a cold piece of metal on my neck. I froze in fear.

"Why don't you just give up?"

A sinister voice asked me.

"Who are you to ask me to surrender?"

I asked as I reached my hand over my left shoulder to shoulder throw my assailant. I succeeded and I threw a deep Purple colored yoshi over my head. I smiled when the individual hit the ground hard on his back. I impaled the spear right next to his chest. With all my strength, I kicked the individual over to the edge of the Combat Area, but I missed and the individual and he caught my leg. He yanked me to the ground. I fell hard on my back. The purple individual jumped up from his position on the ground. I could see who exactly I was fighting now.

"Venom?"

I asked incredulously. I jumped up from laying on the ground, using the golden spear I had caught earlier. I held the spear by the point on the end. I pointed the circular end of the spear at Venom, who smiled.

"How dare you interrupt me during a training session!"

I yelled at him. Venom just laughed to himself.

"I'd like to ask if I could join you in training."

He asked me with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"I don't mind hurting you."

I declared with a smile. The wind started to pick up, keeping me able to fight. Venom drew his sword with his left arm off of his back.

"Is your right arm hurt Venom?"

I asked with full worry. He looked at the arm.

"Oh, yeah. It's nothing really bad. I just had some rock fall on it during my morning training sessions."

He said looking at the arm. All of a sudden I felt like I couldn't move. Venom's left eye color was glowing a light green color. The morning sky that I had seen was growing with clouds quickly. I knew this spell well. Venom looked at me with a sinister smile

"That's not very nice."

I declared as I got ready to defend myself once more. Venom laughed as he materialized spears, fireballs, and rocks above his head, along with some Deathbringers. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Halcyon, who was nodding in agreement to something. I got ready to shift myself so that I could block the objects that were coming my way. The rocks went first.

_Two rocks from the left, one from the right, and two that were behind me._

I told myself as I readied myself to block all of them. I turned to the left first. I blocked the two rocks with the golden spear. The second rock threw me off balance and I staggered a little. I whipped to the right to block the rock that was about to hit me. The rock shattered on impact, throwing shards everywhere. I turned to block the rock that was coming to hurt me, but I was too late. The rock hit me hard on the side of my head. It didn't hurt me much. I shook my head as I saw the rock roll over the side of the edge of the battlefield. I had dropped my spear when the rock hit me. I was able to move now. Red and Orange light illuminated the area as Venom threw fireballs at me. I could not see that I had not a lot of room to maneuver, as the only space I could move in now was a narrow rectangular platform. Venom was standing at the end of another platform about twenty feet away. I looked at the spear that was on the end of the right side of the platform. I got up to see fireballs blasting past me. All of them were travelling in a straight line. I calculated each time I should move by the times that Venom threw the fireballs. I took off running across the platform, dodging fireballs as I ran along. I was about to reach the spear when I was hit with one of the fireballs. I was knocked off of the platform. Instinctively, I grabbed the edge of the platform. With my left arm. I dangled there for a moment, then I hoisted myself up and over the side of the platform's edge. I was furious now. I lunged for the spear. I grabbed the spear and skillfully rolled myself so I could jump and get back into a fighting position. I saw a huge fireball barreling towards my face. I positioned myself so I could hit the fireball right back at Venom. I swung the spear like a baseball bat. The fireball hit the spear hard. As the fireball impacted the spear, I felt the numbing pain of the impact. I shook the pain off as I saw the fireball rocket away from me. I smiled and laid the spear over my left shoulder. The fireball was able to illuminate the fear that Venom now had. The smile that Venom had was replaced with fear as his pupils grew intensely small. The fireball impacted Venom with such force, that I heard a sickening crack that went through my head as the fireball engulfed Venom. He fell over the edge of his platform and fell to the ground, landing hard on his feet. I could see him wince and look back up with a hideous smile. It was then I noticed that he was on fire.

I jumped down from my platform to the ground. I looked at the crazed Venom. His scales were glowing purple. I readied my spear. He then was able to materialize DeathBringers They vanished and appeared on all sides of me.

The one on the right flashed purple. The one on the left flashed purple. Then the one in front of me flashed purple. Then I turned to see a flash of purple behind me. I snapped to the right to see the DeathBringer to the right of me. It was the skull of a normal yoshi, but It had fangs in both of its upper and lower jaw. Both of its eyes were normal looking, but when the energy fired from its mouth, the eyes turned deep purple and the left eye disappeared to leave a black socket where the eye should have been. I spun the spear so fast to defend myself, the spear blurred as it spun. The energy impacted the spinning spear. I only had to keep the spear spinning for three seconds before the DeathBringer disintegrated. I whipped around to the left just in time to see the next DeathBringer fire its shot. I spun the spear around again to have it spin around my wrist so that I could protect myself from the shot. Again, the blast only lasted three seconds. I turned so fast I was ready for the shot of the DeathBringer in front of me before it could fire. I spun the spear around my wrist again. This time the blast lasted for two seconds. I was beginning to get tired after this shot, so I dodged the last one with a running roll to the left. Venom's scales were mostly melted and I could see a little bit of bone that was showing from his upper arm. He was breathing hard and his left eye was completely Purple.

"Had enough yet?"

I asked through deep breaths. I had not experienced this level of battle before. I was too tired to continue, but something kept me going.

_Was it adrenaline, fear, my Fighting Spirit, or something else that keeps me going?_

I thought as I looked at the damage that I had done to Venom. I was shaking with the adrenaline that the battle had given me. Venom gave me a sinister smile.

"You're gonna have to try a little harder than that if you want to win against me."

He declared as his left pupil turned to a vertical slit that was Purple in color. I took a step back in fear. I didn't know what was going to happen now. I had dodged fireballs, used a spear to hit a fireball back at Venom, used that same spear to defend against deadly DeathBringers, and had fought for my life twice now.

_What else does Venom have up his sleeve?_

I asked myself as Venom started to materialize more DeathBringers. I had not noticed that the wind had started to pick up. I noticed by a quick glance that the sun was starting to rise over the sea.

_What ever happened to seeing a nice sunrise without fighting something?_

I thought as Venom started to throw spears, along with the occasional DeathBringer. It was then that I was starting to get nervous. I had noticed that Venom's left eye was completely black, except for the vertical Slit pupil that was colored Purple. A ray of light shot from the eye.

"Oh, No."

I moaned to myself. Now I knew that I was in huge trouble.

_This can't be happening. I didn't do this. I need to get help! I need to do something!_

These thoughts ran through my mind as I parried a stab from one of Venom' s spears. I grabbed his shoulders and threw him over my back. As he sailed over my head, I could see that his other eye was becoming dull. It was as if the life was leaving him as he impacted the ground hard behind me. I whipped around and held the spear's tip to his throat. Venom did not move. All that moved was the very slow rise and fall of his chest.

_At least he's still breathing_

I told myself as I looked around. The sun was all the way over sea now, flooding the land with the live-giving light of the sun. Cheering resounded from behind me. I whipped around to see all of my friends, family, and a large portion of the Islanders cheering. I felt weak. I hated when others watched me do certain things and the worst one was fighting. I HATED others watching me fight. I walked over to the High Council Members, which were now jumping over the fence to greet me that's what I thought at least as I watched as Lime, Mercury, and NightShade run past me to where Venom was on the ground. I turned around and walked over to where the other High Council Members were. They had made a circle around Venom. Lime turned to me.

"What have you done!?"

He yelled to me. Mercury and NightShade nodded slowly in silent agreement. I was furious.

"You don't even know what happened, so you can just be quiet and maybe learn something!"

I yelled back. Lime drew his Gun Sword off of his back and pointed the gun at me.

"I would advise you to keep your cool. I'm an expert marksman you know."

Lime declared softly. I growled and turned away from the High Council Members. I jumped over the fence that the crowd was pushing against. I pushed my way through the crowd, getting worried glances and incredulous looks as I walked to the door that led back to the Revelation Room. I was so angry, without thinking, I kicked through the doors to open them. Upon impact, one of the doors shattered and I walked through without a care. I ran down the hallway with tears streaming down my cheeks. I kicked through the doors that opened to the Revelation Room. I walked through the splintered doors, Ran over to the stairs that led up to the High Council Chambers, and finally collapsed at my door. I was now doubled over, gasping for breath. When I caught my breath(Which did not take long), I burst through my door and closed the door behind me once more. I locked the door and went to turn my lamp on. Light flooded the familiar room. I looked around to see if anything had changed. Noticing nothing new, I walked slowly over to the desk which still had the opened envelope on it. I unfolded the note to read it.

Rose,

I understand that you have been in deep sorrow lately, however i would like it if you would attend the meeting that we will be having at the CourtHouse. I also would like to know if you would be ok with training with Venom in a friendly duel today, as I have been noticing that you have been unusually irritable the last few days. Thanks for your continued dedication to the safety of the United Islands Rose.

From the Administrator of the United Islands,

Halcyon

I read the note and facepalmed. The important meeting was today. I was never told to go, but I now felt that if I went, bad things would happen.

"I've already done my fair share of destruction today."

I told the ceiling as I let out a huge sigh. Some tears fell to the floor.

_Why is it that everywhere I go and everything I do hurts someone?_

I asked myself as I grabbed a book from my nightstand. I could tell by the small hole in the ceiling that It was very early in the morning yet. I tried reading the book that I had on my nightstand, but I could not concentrate on anything. Every time I tried focus on something, I kept seeing the horrid image of Venom being battered, along with that creepy eye that shot rays of Purple light. When I saw that image, I could also see the bone that was partially uncovered when I batted the fireball back at him. I shook my head vigorously to clear the image from my mind. Suddenly, I felt weak and black ringed the edges of my eyes. Letting sleep take me, I let myself fall slowly into the endless abyss. I woke to the sounds of scratching at my door. The sun was shining in my eyes. I shielded the sun rays with my hand. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around my room again. I was not sure why I was so paranoid that something would change, but it bothered me. The scratching sounds resounded once more. I got up and rubbed my eyes once more. I walked slowly to the door. I picked up the sword I kept behind the door and put a knife into my boot. I stood sideways to the door and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, a small spiky lizard flew across the floor and jumped onto my bed. It was an Assassin Lizard. It landed on my bed and quickly turned to look at me. I sighed in relief.

"Dart! You scared the life out of me!"

I said to the lizard. The lizard bobbed its head to acknowledge me. It jumped off of the bed and ran up my leg and finally rested on my shoulder. I scratched it under the chin, to which, its right hind leg vibrated a little.

"Where were you for the past two days?"

I asked the creature. It looked at me for a moment with wide eyes. Since Dart had not answered me, I did not press the issue any more. Instead, I asked something else.

"Why were you scratching at the door? I thought I told you not to do that."

I told Dart. the lizard bobbed its head in understanding, but did not tell me anything.

_Of course it can't tell me anything, it's a lizard._

I told myself. Dart tapped my shoulder, breaking me from my thought.

"What is it Dart?"

I asked the lizard. It hissed and shifted itself to fire the barbs from its back. It pointed at the door with a pointed nail.

"The door isn't even open Dart. What are you concerned about?"

I asked the lizard. It pointed at the door once more, so I walked over to the door. I opened the door to see Lime standing right outside the door. He was leaning on his Gun Sword, and was chewing slowly on an Amber. When the door opened, he looked up at me. He looked to be down emotionally.

"Hey."

He said softly. I looked crossly at him.

"What do you want!?"

I snapped at him. Dart hissed loudly.

"Shh."

I shushed the lizard softly. Lime stopped leaning on the gun and pointed it at Dart. Dart ran around my back to my left shoulder and arched her back and opened her mouth to reveal two lines of sharp teeth. Lime took aim.

"I would advise not trying to kill dart. She has already told me that Rojo has killed another one of her kind."

I told Lime with a smug smile. I looked at him once more.

"Now what did you want to see me for?"

I asked with annoyance. Lime put the gun back on his back.

"First; I would like it if you would refer to my weapon as Tempest; Second; it's time for the meeting."

Lime replied with the same amount of annoyance as I gave him. I sighed and turned around to lock the door. As I was doing that, Lime asked me a question.

"Do you mind if we talk while we walk down to the CourtHouse?"

Lime asked me slowly. After I locked my door, I turned slowly back around to give Lime a scowl, but he was already practicing taking apart his weapon and putting it back together on the ground. I never understood why most males of my species loved shooting things and having guns, but the mechanics of guns did interest me a little. Lime by far was the most interesting of the High Council. He had succeeded to the rank in about three months. This was the fastest that anyone had done this. He was also by far the most athletic of the group and had the intelligence to back most of his actions. He was also very smart for his age. He was Twelve revolutions old. I also did not know where he got his height from, since most of our species was between 4"6, to the tallest I've seen, 7"4. I shuddered from the thought of John taking over Abyss. I shook the thought away. This was a mistake since Lime could see the fear in my eyes. To my surprise he said nothing. Instead, he put "Tempest" back on his back.

"Will you accompany me or not?"

He pressed. I couldn't refuse since this was an important task for me.

"Sure. i'll go."

I huffed. I started to walk towards Lime. it did not take many strides to catch up to him however, Dart almost fell off my shoulder as I half-jogged to catch up to Lime. She protested with a weird squeaking sound. I resetted Dart's position so that she was not able to fall off my shoulder as I walked with Lime. when we had reached the stairs, he stopped momentarily.

"Why did you hurt Venom so much?"

He asked me without even turning to make eye contact. I gave Lime a hard stare when he turned to look at me. He didn't seem phased at all.

"I was only acting out of fear."

I told him.

"How could I know that he was going to go all out?"

I asked desperately. Lime shook his head softly.

"Does the enemy tell you how hard you're supposed to fight?"

He asked me. He took the first step down.

"All I have to say is that I had no intentions of hurting Venom. I thought that this whole thing was just gonna be another boring training session."

I exploded at him. Lime continued to walk down the stairs. I stood at the top of the stairs as I watched him descend to the bottom of the stairs and make a right turn. I stood at the top step running through the actions that I could take. Dart bumped me in the neck with her nose.

"What is it Dart?"

I asked her softly. I looked at her and she was pointing to the bottom of the stairs, so I started to descend the stairs with growing anxiety with each step that I took. When I had reached the bottom step, I finally noticed what Dart was pointing to. I bent over to pick up the object. I picked up the object with shaky hands and stood back up to continue walking when the door to the Revelation Room opened. I quickly backpedaled to stand with my back against the wall that led to the High Council's chambers. I peeked my head around the side of the wall to see Northwind and Frostbite enter the room. The door closed behind them both and the two started to walk to the center of the room.

"It's about time to start the meeting and Rose is nowhere to be found!"

Frostbite cried in desperation.

"It'll be fine Frostbite."

Northwind said calmly. She turned to look at Frostbite.

"If I know Rose, she'll most likely be up in her chamber reading, studying plants, or causing perfumes."

Northwind said with a laugh. Frostbite didn't react. She paced nervously. It was kind of odd to see Frostbite pacing like that. It reminded me of when I was pacing about in my room not that had happened in my room not too long ago. As I pondered this thought, I tried to figure out how I was going to get out of the Revelation Room without them seeing me. My next thought was what would happen if they saw me. I crept slowly up the stairs, being careful not to make any sounds that might give me away. I knew of a secret passage that could lead me outside without anyone's knowledge. This was through Halcyon's room, and I did not want to intrude. I reached the top of the stairs once more and turned to the left so that I could walk to the chambers. When I had reached the chambers, I looked for Halcyon's nameplate. His was on the rightmost side of the doors. I felt a cold gust of air over my neck. I could feel Dart shifting and turning around on my shoulder. She stopped and hissed again. I shifted my eyes so that I could look over my shoulder. I saw Halcyon at the top of the stairs.

"What are you doing up here Rose?"

He asked suspiciously. He walked briskly over to me. I could tell that he was mildly upset.

"Need I ask again?"

He asked with a little more irritable. I turned slowly to meet his powerful gaze.

"Tell me the truth Rose."

He he told me. I felt cold all over.

_As a Council Member I Can't lie, and I don't want to tell the truth._

I told myself. So I told Halcyon what he needed to know and nothing else.

"I was up here to blow off some steam."

I said with a hint of lingering anger. Then a nervous feeling welled up from inside me.

"Is Venom ok?"

I asked from impulse. Halcyon shifted uneasily.

"Do you want me to answer that question truthfully?"

He asked me with a strong stare. I was backed against the door that led to Halcyon's room with no way of escaping. I didn't know what to do.

"If you want to tell me, then please do so."

I said hoping to ease the situation a little. Halcyon sighed. Then he pushed past me into his room.

"You wanted to pass through my room to get out of the High Council Chambers to get the CourtHouse, right?"

He asked flatly. I was astounded, but I didn't show it. Instead, I just followed him into his room. His room was very organized and was overflowing with books about everything. I picked up a book.

"Quantum Mechanics?"

I asked him. Halcyon whipped around from looking at his bookshelf.

"Did I say that you could touch anything?"

He asked me firmly. I dropped the book and raised my hands in defeat.

"No you didn't. Sorry about that."

I replied sadly. He sighed and went back to pulling books of the shelf that was in his room. Halcyon muttered to himself as he pulled book after book after book off of the shelf.

"What are you looking for Halcyon?"

I asked him. He pulled A Red book with a yellow spine. There was a metallic clanking sound and I looked in awe to see the bed fold up into a wall. Where the bed was, there was now a hole that I could see. The hole was about two-and-a-half feet wide. I looked into the hole. It went down about four feet; after that, it turned to extend to the way that I was looking at the hole. I knew that I was facing north, so I knew that this hole would come out close to the Revelation Room's entryway doors.

"After you my lady."

Halcyon said politely with a bow. He looked back up at me with a huge smile. I scoffed and jumped into the hole. I landed hard on my heels. this sent a shockwave of pain up my body, but I didn't care. I could see the end of the tunnel from where I was standing. I started walking towards the exit. As I started to walk, Halcyon landed right behind me. When he landed, I whipped around to see who had landed behind me in fear.

"It's just me Rose."

Halcyon stated flatly. I muttered to myself as he pushed me forward. The tunnel was covered in moss and lichens.

_There's so much humidity for a tunnel. What else is here that I have not seen?_

I asked myself as I neared the end of the tunnel. Soft snoring sounds came from my shoulder. I looked to see Dart curled into a ball on my shoulder, her spikes causing a Hemispherical line where her back was.

"Let me take the grate off Rose."

Halcyon told me with a sense of urgency. I moved over so that he could take off the grate. The grate was covered in rust and was secured in place by two huge screws that were interestingly not covered in rust. I wanted to ask why the screws were not covered in rust, but my question got lost when the grate fell to the ground, causing a huge tinny racket. I braced myself for anything that may have happened. Since Halcyon did not get ready for a fight, I took a chance and placed myself at ease. I looked at where we had come from. To my amazement, we had emerged from where the doors that led to the Revelation Room had been. The only difference was that we had emerged from the ground and not the doors. I climbed over the grate and stood in the middle of the path that led to the Revelation Room. Halcyon emerged seconds after me. He put the grate back where it was supposed to be and covered it with some dirt.

"We're gonna be late if we don't step on it."

Halcyon said tensely. He pushed me along the road so that we could reach the CourtHouse faster. We walked the same path that Rojo and Emperor had walked one day ago. I turned to the right and stopped at the edge of the staircase that led up to the double doors that led into the CourtHouse. I stopped to take in the beautiful hues of Blue and Green.

"I usually don't get to see things like this often."

I told Halcyon as he streaked past me. Up the stairs, to the double doors he ran. He was about to go through them when he turned back to me with an incredulous look.

"What did you say Rose?"

He asked tensely. I tried to muster some courage, but looking Halcyon in the eye was a task in itself.

"I said that I usually don't see the outside world most often."

I declared.

"I forget that there's food. I forget that there's other people. I forget that there's other things than deciding the fate of others without their knowledge!"

I practically exploded. Halcyon stared me down, causing waves of numbness go up and down my back with fear.

"We can talk about your grievances later Rose."

He said with finality. I walked up the stairs, somewhat sulking with all the weights that I were responsible for upon my shoulders. I wondered what this meeting was going to be about, since we had a lot of things happen in about a day. I walked into the main room of the CourtHouse. I had not ever been here before, so I took in the surroundings. As the sunlight filtered through the window, I looked at the objects in the room as dust particles floated in the air. There were four windows on each side of the room. They were supported with what looked like to be steel beams.

I wonder why these are here? What could have happened to make these additions to the windows?

I asked myself as I started to look at the other objects in the room. In front of me, there was an oak table with a pitcher of lemonade on it. On both sides of the table were two comfortable looking chairs. They were made of a very intricately woven fabric that depicted royalty. I then looked to see a hallway that had three doors on each side. On the right wall, there were pictures of of a regal looking family and on the left, there were the same pictures, but were only of one individual. I walked over to the other side of the room to get a better look at what the individual looked like. I studied the figure. He was tall; about 5'7 in height. He was also built very well, as he had very distinguishable muscles that added to his fierce gaze.

_His red irises burned into those who gazed in his direction_

This was the caption that was close to the bottom of the picture. It was signed in almost perfect cursive. I nearly fainted when I saw whose signature it was. _It was signed by Abyss himself._

I shook my head and looked at the other pictures on the wall.

"Rose!"

A voice snapped through my thoughts. I looked around to see the other High Council Members walking into the last door on the right side of the hallway. Halcyon was the one that spoke to me. He was holding the door open. He studied me closely as I walked to the door. As I ran over to the door, he saw Dart on my shoulder.

"Are you really going to bring that dangerous creature into a place of meeting?"

Halcyon asked me with an even expression. I looked at Dart, who now was uncurling herself to check on her surroundings. She saw Halcyon and arched her back and hissed loudly. This got worried stares from the individuals that were in the CourtHouse meeting room. I scowled at Halcyon and walked through the open door into a very interesting room.


	8. Chapter 7 (Summit of Anticipation)

Chapter 7 Summit of Anticipation

Emperor's P.O.V.

I sighed when I heard that I had to go to a meeting; especially when HE was going to be there. I detested NightShade. He was out of shape, ate too much, did not give others much regard to their being, and he was WAY to cocky to be powerful.

_If NightShade was more like Venom, I would be kinder to him._

I thought to myself as I knocked on the chamber room door of NightShade. Before this, I was reluctant to even go anywhere near where he was. There was no answer from the other side of the door. I had been sent from the order of Halcyon to get him.

_Why does it have to be me that gets NightShade. Why can't it be anyone else?_

I complained to myself as I prepared to knock again. Before I could knock again, the door opened. NightShade stood in the the doorway chewing something.

"What do you want?"

He asked me when he saw me. It took everything that I had to make sure that I didn't hurt him. I looked him straight in the eye.

"I've been sent by Halcyon to tell you that we have an important meeting today."

I said with the most professional voice I could. NightShade spit something at my feet and walked right through me, almost causing me fall onto the ground. I gave a low growl to myself as I set a brisk walking pace to catch up to NightShade. When I caught up with him, he looked at me with a smug look in his face.

"I would watch your luck NightShade; yours is running thin with me."

I told him.

"You really think that you can hurt me? You must still have head injuries,"

He said with a laugh.

_Just take the Reborn and impale him along with the it in the wall. You want him gone anyways right?_

A sinister, cold voice said in my head. I looked around nervously trying to see who spoke to me, but all that was happening was that NightShade was whistling a tune. Again, this was a tune that I did not recognise, but that wasn't my primary focus.

"Did you hear anyone speaking?"

I asked NightShade as we neared the stairs that led to the Revelation Room. he stopped walking and looked at me with a confused look.

"I didn't. All I could hear was your little whiny voice."

He replied with a sneer.

"Ok, thanks f-"

I started, however, I was cut off by NightShade once again.

"Your voice just sticks in my head all the time. It's quite annoying coming from you especially."

He said to me. I was about ready to pummel him. The way that he was acting towards me was uncalled for.

"As I was saying; thanks for letting me know that you didn't hear anything. I now can continue with my process of elimination."

I thanked him with the professional voice I used so much with this individual. I did not know why he was so cocky and arrogant, but much like my mother said, it would be his downfall. We walked down the stairs together, turned to the left so that we could walk out of the Revelation Room. NightShade looked at me, then to the door when we had reached it.

"Open the door."

He commanded me. Now I was upset.

"I'm not your servant! Don't tell me what to do!"

I shouted at NightShade. He smiled and chuckled to himself.

""I think that you will."

He said softly. I took the Reborn off of my back.

"And why's that NightShade?"

I asked with mock incredulity. NightShade looked at me with a strong stare that burned into my head.

"Because I said that you would."

He stated flatly. I growled to myself and put the Reborn back on my back. I opened the door and NightShade once again pushed through me to walk down the pathway to the CourtHouse. when he was gone from my sight, I closed the Revelation Room's doors behind me. I waited for the spears and walked down the hallway seething with rage.

_This is a good thing young King. this is the way that you should feel. Anger and hated will allow you to do so much more than being kind and caring._

The same voice said to me. I looked at my right upper arm. The symbol that was on my shoulder was glowing a very soft Purple color. The next thing that I saw shocked me. There were sparks coming from the symbol. I did not feel pain, but the voice in my head was becoming louder and more defined. As I walked down to the Ivory doors that led into the hallway that led into the real Revelation Room, I thought about what Abyss did to me.

_That move…..Pain split._

I thought to myself. I was walking quickly and with haste for some reason.

_It's a great thing that you will listen to me._

The voice said to me.

"Who are you? What do you want?!"

I asked fearfully to the doors that were in front of me.

_I will be the voice of reason to you. I can dictate your actions and I can give you power that no one will be able to rival_

The voice continued. I opened the door to see that it was sunset already. I ran down the side of the road to the CourtHouse, up the steps, blasted through the door and looked at the room. I did not have much time to survey the room because I saw that one of the doors had closed. I ran to the door and pulled the door open. I almost fainted at what I saw. There, in the room, was all the members of the High Council, All of my acquaintances, and a new individual that I had never seen before.

"Emperor!"

The new individual called happily to me. I just stared blankly at the figure.

"Don't just stand there like a tree; come sit with us!"

The new individual said to me. It was just then that I noticed the color of this individual. He was a very deep Gold colored yoshi. He stood up from his chair and extended his arm to me. I received the handshake and the Gold yoshi sat back down.

"I should tell you who I am, right?"

He asked me. He pointed to a chair that was unfortunately right next to Nightshade. he winked at me and continued chewing on a tweed leaf.

"Are you sure that this is the only seat left at the table?"

I asked politely. The Gold yoshi looked at me funny while the other council members exchanged worried glances.

"I'm afraid that there are no more to be found Emperor. You'll have to sit next to NightShade for now."

The Gold one said with exasperation. I walked slowly over to the chair. I moved to sit down in the chair, but as I was getting ready to position myself in the chair, NightShade quickly took the chair from where I was going to sit and I fell to the ground hard. NightShade burst out in laughter. I just looked up from where I was seated in disgust.

"Oh you have no idea how funny that was!"

He said to me while trying to keep a straight face. I got up from the ground and brushed myself off.

_Why not take that chair right there and see if he can take a chair to the head?_

The voice asked me. I stopped for a moment to decide my next action. I really wanted to give NightShade what was coming to him, but I knew that fighting him would solve nothing. With this in mind, I took the chair from NightShade and sat down at the table. The High Council Members were looking at NightShade in disgust. NightShade was relaxing in his chair with his boots on the table. He stretched and looked back at me once again. He spit another ball of tweed at me. I dodged the ball and the ball traveled past me to the wall where it stuck to the wall with a faint squishing sound. The Gold yoshi spoke again.

"You may address me by the name Halcyon. It's a pleasure to be in your midst Emperor"

Halcyon said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Then his attention turned to NightShade, who looked like he was asleep. Halcyon shook his head slowly. Then he leaned forward like he was about to tell the others something.

"I have no idea how he has lasted this long. I thought someone would have killed him by now!"

Halcyon told the High Council Members. To this, the others laughed. This caused NightShade to take his boots off of the table and sit up straight in his chair. Rose chuckled to herself and I just stared at Halcyon. I felt that I had seen him before.

_Maybe it's because of the Gold color that I feel like he's my father._

I thought to myself as Halcyon produced a large stack of papers from the ground that was next to him. He lifted the papers off of the ground and dropped them onto the table. The papers thudded onto the table when he had dropped them unceremoniously onto the table, which made A dull thumping sound as the papers impacted the tabletop. I looked at the papers from where I was sitting. NightShade rolled his eyes.

"Are we just going to sit around and make small talk, or are we going to do something productive here?"

He asked with that annoying entitlement attitude of his. I felt for the Reborn on my back, but It wasn't there. I looked all around the room nervously trying to find the Reborn without getting up from my chair.

"These are the subjects that we need to touch on in this meeting."

Halcyon declared. All of the others in the room looked at him incredulously.

"You really think that we're going to get through all of this today!?"

Lime burst. Halcyon did not look impressed at all.

"I agree with Lime on this one Halcyon."

NightShade started. Without warning or wanting to, I stood up from my chair and grabbed NightShade by the neck and held him in the air. Rose jumped up from her chair.

"What in the world are you doing Emperor!?"

She exclaimed. I smiled without wanting to.

"I'm doing just what anyone else would have done by now."

I said. My voice had changed from my normal one. Halcyon was standing close to his chair. Everyone had worried looks on their faces. NightShade was trying to weasel out of my grasp, but his efforts were futile. I did not know where these thoughts of evil and hate came from, but it was starting to scare me. I also noticed that my vision had turned mostly red.

_This is the power you seek. Let the hatred course through your veins and seize the power that is rightfully yours._

The evil voice said to me. I could not resist the evil that was controlling me. I was forced to look at NightShade who had gone limp.

"Emperor!"

A voice shouted to me. I wanted to see who was shouting at me, but I could not move my head. Instead, I spoke by the power of the evil voice that was controlling me.

"It' s too late to save him. NightShade is close to death. After which, I will absorb his Fighting Spirit and gain his power to fuel my own."

I said looking directly at Halcyon. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Lime now had me to gunpoint, Rose had Dart ready to shoot death-bringing darts, Rojo who had just entered the room, Mercury who had a fireball of Blue color in his hand, and a very faint outline of a yoshi in the corner of the room behind the door that Rojo had entered from. I could feel the pulse of NightShade growing weaker. I knew that there was not a lot of time left before he could suffocate, but I could not stop choking for some reason.

"Let him go"

Lime said with a low, intimidating voice. I could not let him go, but I could use my voice now.

"I'm not doing this by my own free will! I need you guys to listen!"

I said with a pained, strained voice. Rojo studied my face. He nodded to himself after he saw my eyes.

"Emperor is speaking the truth."

Rojo declared. Halcyon spoke next.

"If he's indeed telling the truth, why has he not let NightShade go yet?"

He asked nervously. Lime pushed the tip of Tempest( his gun) into my back. I dropped NightShade and whipped around to maneuver Lime and his gun so that I was choking him. I had the blade of Tempest to Lime's throat. Lime was shuddering all over.

"Why are you doing this Emperor!?"

A new voice exclaimed. This time, it was Cynder that was speaking. I narrowed my eyes in hatred, when in reality, I wanted to be relieved. She materialized A DeathBringer with her left hand and A fireball with her right hand.

"Drop him Emperor."

Cynder commanded. I was able to move myself now, so I let Lime go. He dropped to the floor and he scrabbled across the floor to the opposite side of the table to join Marine, Halcyon, Mercury, Rose, Northwind, Frostbite and Rojo on the other side of the table. The others watched intently as Cynder edged over to me slowly. She was whispering to me softly when she was near me. She snapped her right fingers and the DeathBringer and fireball disappeared. She put both of her hands on my shoulders and put her head on my right shoulder.

"I know what you're going though. I'll do my best to help you."

She said softly as I felt a tear fall onto my shoulder. She returned to standing in front of me. I noticed that she was sobbing softly and was looking at the floor. I collapsed to the floor in grief.

"What's going to happen now?"

I asked with fearful eyes as I felt the evil leave my thoughts for now. Cynder smiled weakly.

"I have no Idea to be honest."

She told me quietly. She turned around and grabbed Rojo by the shoulder. She said something to him and the two walked briskly out of the room. Halcyon walked around the table to look at me once more. When he got close to me, he sat down with his legs crossed and with a strong stare.

"What have you failed to tell us about your state of being Emperor?"

He asked me with contempt in his voice. I saw that the others in the room were standing behind Halcyon with their respective weapons drawn.

"Do I really need to tell you Halcyon? I don't think that everyone here should hear what happened to me."

I started to protest. Halcyon did not take any notice to my protests, but instead asked me more questions.

"What is that on your upper arm?"

He asked. I fearfully looked at my upper arm expecting to see something terrible, but there was nothing ridiculous when I studied the symbol. I looked behind Halcyon to see if the outline was still there. The outline of the individual walked out of the room, causing me shake my head vigorously. After that I looked back at Halcyon, who had gotten up from where he was sitting. He was obviously done trying to get anything from me. I sighed in relief.

"Can we resume from where we left off?"

Rose asked impatiently. She looked at me with narrowed eyes as she made her DeathBringers disintegrate.

"Will you have any more outbursts Emperor?"

She asked me sternly. I took my gaze from Halcyon and looked at the fierce gaze of Rose.

"I have no idea!"

I shouted back at her. She winced and sat down in her chair. The others looked at each other and put their respective weapons away and sat in their respective chairs as I got up from the floor.

_I wonder why she winced like that_

I wondered as I found the chair that I had been sitting in before. I looked around at my surroundings once more. Miraculously, almost nothing had changed when I was taken over by that voice. Everyone that was in the room had also returned to their seats except for Rojo, Northwind, Frostbite, Cynder and NightShade. I was worried for him for some reason.

_Even though I do not care for him, that does not allow me to not care for his health._

I mentally scolded myself. Halcyon's speech broke through my thoughts.

"Is everyone ready to continue?"

He asked impatiently, stacking the papers once again. Everyone turned their attention to Halcyon, who took the top paper off of the stack.

"The first thing that we need to address is the damages that happened from the war."

Halcyon declared. Lime leaned forward in his chair.

"What exactly is the total amount in damages Halcyon?"

He asked anxiously. Halcyon closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"We've taken at least 500,000 Watermelons in damage."

He said slowly, quietly and with heavy stress in his voice. Lime, Rose, and I just stared openmouthed in awe at the damage that Halcyon had described.

_Fruits and Vegetables on the united Islands are the currency that the yoshi kind uses to give a value to an object. Small fruits such as Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Pears, Lemons, strawberries and a vine of Grapes are 1 in value. Larger fruits such as Pineapples, Grapefruits, Large pumpkins/Squash and Dragon Fruit were counted as 10 in value. There is only one fruit that is counted as 50 in value, and that is Peppers of any kind. Watermelons are by far one of the most sought items of currency; these are 100 in value. Then there's only three things that are better than a Watermelon. These are the Bread Loafs that have a value of 500, the Golden Loaf that has a value of 1000 and last, but certainly not least, there's the Diamond. These are extremely rare to find on the United Islands, but can bring great fortune to those who find them. They have been valued at 10,000 to 100,000 by size._

This was the train of thought that I had going through my mind as Halcyon read through the papers of the table. He had gotten through most of them by the time that I had finished my thought. I must have been staring off into space because Lime was staring at me. I shook my head.

"Why is everyone staring at me?"

I asked nervously. Lime shook his head slowly.

"Do you have any idea how much pressure that you put on us?"

He asked me slowly. I was confused. I thought I was the only one that had so much to deal with. Keeping this in mind, I stared out the nearest window. The sky was once again filling with clouds that flashed periodically with Blue lightning.

"Hello?"

Lime called to me. I looked back at him,

"This is what i'm talking about Halcyon!"

He cried in desperation. Halcyon sighed.

"You're only upset because you don't want to be here anymore. You're young and active and I understand that. However, you need to learn how to control your restlessness."

He said evenly. Halcyon took the last paper off of the table. He read the the paper quickly and quietly to himself. He set the paper on the stack of papers that were next to him.

"This pertains only to Emperor at the moment."

Halcyon declared. The others jumped from their chairs and ran quickly out of the room. I was astounded by how fast they left the room. It was as if they did not want to be in this meeting or something and it bothered me for some reason. Halcyon sighed again.

"They never put their chairs back under the table."

He said annoyed to the room as he got up from his chair and put the chairs back under the table I was sitting at. When he sat back down again, he looked me straight in the eyes. I noticed that his left eye had turned a faint Orange color.

"Why don't you tell me what just happened here not too long ago?"

He told me seriously. I noticed by glancing at both sides of the room that there was a DeathBringer on each side of the room. I started to get nervous. I didn't have the Reborn, Halcyon was acting weird, there was a storm outside and I had no idea what was going on.

"I...I had no Idea Halcyon…...I'm being honest!"

I stammered. He smiled to himself. His left eye was was glowing a deeper Orange that it had been before. The eye was also giving off a strange glimmering dust that sparkled in the air.

"I'll be watching you_ Heir to the throne"_

He told me, stressing the last part of the sentence. He got up from his chair and walked to the left side of the room. He tapped the wall three times and a small portion of the wall opened to reveal the Reborn, which had been in the wall the whole time. I gasped in surprise.

"I knew that you had the Devil's Gene in you."

Halcyon declared to me. This remark made me get out of my chair.

"Since when did you know about this?"

I asked tensely. Instead of answering my question, Halcyon threw me the Reborn. I caught it with my right hand and put it on my back.

"You can leave now Emperor."

Halcyon told me. I left without saying anything. I didn't know why Halcyon was so cryptic, but thinking about it gave me headache. I walked out of the room, opened the door and proceeded to sit on the steps that led up the the CourtHouse. I watched the clouds roll over the island that I knew as my home. The lightning occasionally lit up the landscape, sending flashing lights into my field of vision. I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't move.

"Are you OK Emperor?"

A figure asked me as the individual sat down beside me. I shifted my eyes without moving my head to see who had sat down beside me.

"Oh, hey…...Cynder."

I said sullenly. She looked at me funny.

"What happened in there?"

She asked me quickly. I looked at her.

"Halcyon hid the Reborn from me."

I stated flatly. Cynder nodded slowly.

"I understand that would make you upset."

She sighed. She looked at the clouds that had rolled over the sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She asked me. I was looking at the clouds that were above me, but I couldn't see what she was marveling at.

"Don't you think the rain is beautiful Emperor?"

She asked me. I saw that it had indeed started raining, but what made the land beautiful I didn't know.

"What exactly are you marveling at?"

I asked trying to look for something beautiful. Cynder pointed to the patch of flowers that lined the staircase that led up to the CourtHouse entrance.

"These are what i'm talking about."

She told me as she got up to get one of them. She walked to the base of the stairs and started studying the flowers as if one of them held something that the others didn't. She returned with a flower of white color and held it out to me.

"This is a white rose; it's very hard to find on the island chains where we live."

She told me. I studied the flower she called a rose. It looked similar to a tulip and had spots of water on it where the rain had fallen on its petals. I sniffed the flower. It had a sweet smell to it that made everything that I had been going through less...stressful. Cynder smiled. She knew that I liked the flower, but I didn't know if I should. I thought that she had gotten the flower to show me what a rose was. While I was debating this in my head, she sat back down next to me.

"Don't you like it Emperor?"

She asked me. I could sense a bit of worry in her voice.

"I wanted to take it, but I didn't know if I should have."

I said without wanting to. This was odd because I had started to say things that were not of my free will. Cynder looked at me funny.

"You've changed recently. What's going on Emperor?"

She asked me. I didn't respond, instead, I kept my gaze fixed to the rain that was falling to the ground along with the occasional lightning flash. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked at Cynder. I could tell by the way she was sitting that she was nervous.

"Why are you nervous?"

I asked her. She turned away from me to look at the fire that was on the mountain.

"There's a fire up on the mountain. Electrical fires are not easy to put out."

She told me. I narrowed my eyes so that I could see what she was talking about. The rain had stopped momentarily, but the overcast sky had not changed.

"I have to go do something Emperor."

Cynder declared. She took off walking at a brisk pace towards the castle that I came from. She left to me to the overcast sky and the quiet chirping of various insects, birds, and the loneliness of the area. I got up from where I was seated and went back inside the CourtHouse. I didn't know why I felt that I was safe in the CourtHouse, but I went inside anyway. My progress was hindered by the High Council Members that were streaming out of the double doors. When they had left the building, I entered into the room and collapsed into one of the chairs.


	9. Chapter 8 (Entering the Abyss)

Chapter 8 Entering the Abyss

John's P.O.V

I was on the ship that had taken me from my place of rule. I was looking over the edge of the ship that was suspending me in the air.

"I could've just flown here!"

I screamed at the clouds. I balled my hands into fists and struck the deck of the ship with my fist. Splinters flew from the impact of my fist. There was a hole in the deck now. Destroying things made me feel better.

"What's the matter my fine friend?"

Ivo called from the ship's cabin. I took splinters out of my hand as I walked to him. My glowing irises lighting my path as I walked to him. I took the last piece of wood out of my hand as he started to speak again.

"That was a great display of strength Abyss!"

He praised me. I just stared at him, which made Ivo fall silent.

"I thought that you were to address me by my real name, not by my vessel's name."

I stated. Ivo shifted uneasily.

"I am sorry my Lord. please forgive me!"

He practically cried as he kneeled on both knees begging for mercy at my feet.

"That's more like it Ivo!"

I smiled and laughed maniacally as he got up again.

"That's how you should address someone of my stature Ivo."

I told him.

"Now get back to your post!"

I shouted at him. Ivo nodded and went back into the cabin of the ship. I followed him since I was bored.

_I could be doing so much more right now. I have all of this power, yet I can't use it._

I thought to myself as I tore the cabin door open. This caused the hinges to snap and the door to go flying off of the ship with the force that I had opened the door open with.

"Oops, I broke it."

I announced as I entered the room. Wind rushed through the room, causing howling sounds and throwing papers everywhere as I entered. I looked at what was before me. A single lamp was suspended over what looked like to be an oak table. Ivo was steering the ship when I had entered. We were flying pretty fast since I saw the Knots dial at 50.

"How fast is 50 Knots Ivo?"

I asked as I materialized a door where I had torn the door off of its hinges. The wind stopped howling through the room and the papers that were taken up in the breeze softly fluttered to the ground, where they stopped moving.

"50 Knots in Miles Per Hour my Lord?"

Ivo asked me. I looked at him crossly.

"It goes without saying Ivo."

I replied. He turned back to steering the ship through the turbulence of the storm that we were flying through.

"I heard that the King was going to be with us on this mission John."

Ivo started. I walked to the table and sat down. I growled angrily.

"Stop changing the subject and just tell me how fast we are going ok!?"

I exploded at Ivo. he started to shudder a little and I laughed to myself.

"We-we're g-g-going a-at 57 Miles Per Hour L-L-Lord John"

Ivo stammered as he gripped the helm of the ship. I looked down at the papers that were on the table. Somehow without knowing it, I had used magic to bring the papers from the ground back to the table I was sitting at. I looked at the papers that were on the table. All of them were displaying maps of our current area, maps of the United Islands, battle strategies for our invasion and finally, a cross section of the ship that we were flying in. the door burst open and I looked at the figure that was in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?"

I asked the figure that I had known all too well as the figure walked to the seat that was across from where I was sitting at. He barely fit into the room because of his size.

"I thought that you were supposed to be somewhere else right now."

I somewhat mocked the individual as he sat on the chair opposite of me. The chair sagged inwards from the sheer weight of the individual.

"I wouldn't press your luck young one. I still have the power to imprison you in that egg that your brother hatched from."

The individual told me. I studied him in the half-darkness of the room. He looked like a turtle crossed with a dragon. He had jagged teeth, spikes coming from his back, scaly hands that were tipped with sickle-tipped claws. He had horns that protruded from his head and eyes that had a base color of yellow, but had the vertical slit pupil color of Red color. His muscles bulged against the collars that ringed his shoulders, arms and legs. I could see the scratches that scarred the black metal rings, causing this individual seem much more sinister than I thought this individual was.

"King Bowser, how nice of you to join us!"

Ivo exclaimed from the helm of the ship. Bowser did not shift his gaze, instead he narrowed his eyes at me, causing my breath catch in my throat for a mere second.

"You didn't kill the Chosen One."

He stated with a extremely low, gravelly voice. He stared at me with his narrowed eyes that I felt could burn holes through me. I opened my mouth to speak.

"Allow me t-"

I started, but Bowser put his huge hand up to silence me.

"You have no excuse not to have succeeded in your mission John."

He overspoke me with a flat tone. I slowly rose from my seat. I could feel the evil within rise as it wanted to destroy everything within my sight, but I had already pledged my allegiance to Bowser and Ivo. after all, Bowser had taken me in and Ivo had saved my life. I slammed my fist onto the table, causing a hole in the table. When I did this, Ivo flinched and he jerked the wheel, sending me off balance. I slammed into the wall, but I was able to regain my balance. I was enraged now. I could see steam starting to become present from the edges of my mouth and nostrils.

"You don't have enough power to be angry yet John."

Bowser stated.

"You need to have much more power before you can really become a threat."

He finished. I walked past Bowser to Ivo who was shaking with fear. I looked out the windshield of the ship.

"How long until we get where we need to go?"

I asked Ivo. he shook his fear off and continued staring ahead.

"We will be at the King's castle in about 15 minutes."

Ivo replied with a steady voice.

"Good"

I replied with finality. I walked back down to where Bowser was sitting. When I sat down, I saw that he was looking through my papers.

"What are you doing with my construction papers?"

I asked tensely. He looked up from the papers he was looking at.

"Do you really want me to answer that truthfully John?"

He asked me with a raised eyebrow. Now I was concerned. I had never been scared before, but I didn't want to press the buttons of an individual that was about twice or three times my size.

"I actually would if you don't mind."

I replied with annoyance. I sat down in the the chair and looked across the table to see Bowser put the papers down. I could see flames licking the edges of his mouth and his nostrils expelling smoke and small embers.

"They're here."

He announced getting quickly up from his chair and walking quickly to the door. He pulled the door open so hard, the door snapped off of its hinges a second time. This time, the door went barreling towards Ivo, who had turned from steering the ship. He saw the door barreling towards him and started to shield himself from getting hit by the door. I threw a fireball at the door. The fireball hit the door and shattered the door into splinters right as it was about to impact Ivo. splinters went everywhere and smoke filled the room. I could see Bowser walk out of the room. Ivo started coughing and sputtering from the smoke. I took a deep breath of the smoke in the room. It was a good smell to me since I loved seeing destruction. I took a huge breath of the smoky air once more to clear the room of the smoke. Ivo stopped coughing. He looked at me and then to the splinters on the floor.

"H-how d-did you?"

He stammered as I started to leave the room. I was not able to stand being in the presence of someone that was so weak. As I was about to go through the door, but I stopped.

"Do you really want me to answer that question truthfully?"

I asked him without turning my head to look at him.

"I'd rather not ask about that kind of subject in regards to your current state of being."

He replied with a now even voice.

"Then I will explain all the gory details later."

I said with finality as I walked through the door to leave Ivo by himself. I walked across the deck of the ship, fighting the wind, the objects that flew across the deck of the ship and the somewhat cold that was creating frost on the ends of my scales. My host body could feel the cold sting of being so high in the sky, but being a ghost was really helpful sometimes.

_Why is it that I chose this individual to inhabit? Why not one of the Enemy' s closest friends?_

I asked myself as I descended down the steps to the ship's laboratory. With each step, I could feel the humidity leaving the air. This made it a little hard to breathe, but I didn't care.

"Where are you at?"

I asked myself quietly. I searched in the darkness for my weapon. I felt along objects in the darkness to see if I could find my way. Seeing that I couldn't, I materialized a fireball in my hand. An Orange glow filled the room. I was taken back in surprise when I found out what this room was.

"What are you doing here Abyss?"

A low growly voice asked me. I quickly turned to see Bowser right in front of me. My breathing quickened and I started to feel numb. I could tell that he was angry about something, as I could see his heart rate was high and that Adrenaline was flowing through his veins.

"I was merely looking for my weapon."

I stated flatly. Bowser shifted a little. It was then that I saw in the light that most of his shell was scarred and that some of his spikes were missing. He also seemed to be bleeding since I saw drops of a foreign liquid on the floor.

"How long does it take to find a sword?"

_I would not wield a measly tin strip of something._

I Snorted to myself. I just now noticed that Bowser asked me his question quietly. Small embers, smoke and ashes fell from his mouth as he spoke. I started to walk past him, but he put out his huge hand to stop me.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

He asked me. I didn't answer. There was a moment of silence between us. For a second there was the sounds of rain hitting the ship, the crash of thunder and the beats of the ship's blades.

"I don't care what you need to do as long as you accomplish your task Abyss."

Bowser stated as he removed his hand from being in my way. I felt blades coming from the spaces in my hands. I smiled to myself and continued on my way, leaving Bowser in the Weapons Room/Laboratory. I walked about two steps before a huge impact rocked the ship. This sent me off balance and I slammed into the wall. This didn't phase me at all. I was now running quickly with the speed of the my host's body as well as my own speed. I ran up the steps and stopped in the heavy rain to see two individuals in a plane. This was annoying to me since I knew who these people were.

"Why is it always these two that are sent to fight us?"

I asked myself as I felt the changes associated with battle take over my body….but this time the changes were different. I kept my eyes on the airplane as it flew around the ship. The airplane was Red and Green in color. I could also tell that it was a BiPlane by the wing structure. I growled to myself when I saw the Shine Spite decal on the wings of the airplane. The airplane was firing Bullet Bills at the airship that I was on. Something started to send chills up and down my back.

"Ready to test the limits of your abilities?"

Bowser asked me quietly. I couldn't see or feel him arrive which was odd to me, but that wasn't my main concern at the moment. I felt a breeze of air travel up my back. I had the sudden urge to look up into the air at the moment. I knew why I had the urge to look when I saw the object that Bowser threw into the air. It was an invention that he had stolen from the Mushroom Kingdom not too long ago. It was the prized possesion of Doctor E. Gadd: the ForceField Generator. The object exploded into a bright Yellow light that blinded me for a brief second. I blinked my eyes once and saw a ForceField of Yellow color had surrounded our ship. I walked to the bow of the ship and looked off into the distance. I laughed to myself when I saw the castle in the distance.

"We are almost to the castle. All individuals on the ship prepare for landing!"

Ivo's voice rang out of the various megaphones on the ship. The airplane that was flying around the ship started to annoy me. The fact that it was firing bullets that did no damage to the ForceField and the fact that the bullets were causing annoying tinkling sounds when the bullets hit the ForceField didn't help my anger. I had not noticed the changes that had taken place, but I could feel them. I looked down at my Steel Toed Boots to see that claws had punctured through the steel portion of the boot, revealing black claws that were curved and sharp as sickles. I then looked at left arm to see I had gained a huge amount of muscle mass.

_I could use this._

I thought to myself as I felt my bone structure change to bring the long horns, claws, sharp teeth and elbow blades that would change me into my "Battle Form". I didn't care for what King Bowser and Ivo called it. I had something that they didn't have and this was my transformation, not theirs; so they couldn't call it what they wanted to. I felt the numbness of the pain that went along with the transformation. My teeth grew in my mouth to become longer and sharper. I had horns growing out of my head. I could also feel my bone structure becoming more dense. I also now had a dark Purple and Black aura around my body.

"I'm going to enjoy this."

I told myself as the ship landed. The shield disappeared and I jumped off of the ship to survey my surroundings. Two more impacts resounded from behind me as I looked to the castle that was in my view.

"Like what you see Master Abyss?"

Ivo asked me. I looked at the castle in front of me. It looked like to me made of the standard castle-causing substance(bricks). They were covered mostly in moss and some were starting to degrade, as there were chunks missing from some of the bricks. There was a Red carpet leading up to the main entryway. There was no drawbridge or moat, but what I did see made me smile.

"I'd like to assume that you do like it by that amazing smile of yours Master Abyss!"

Ivo said to me. I looked down at him to see him start shaking again. I smiled cruelly and grabbed him by his neck to hold him in the air.

"You're right. I do like it."

I stated. Ivo was starting to struggle, which made me want to torture him more. I brought my face close to his. Ivo started to whimper in fear.

" Consider this your thanks from me."

I said with a maniacal laugh. I dropped Ivo and started to walk across the Red carpet that led to the main door. I could hear Bowser keeping pace right behind me. I didn't know why he wasn't saying anything, but I could conclude that he was anxious about something. I stopped in mid-stride and Bowser slammed into my back. I didn't move, but Bowser fell on his back. I quickly turned around and put my boot on his chest close enough to where my sickle-tipped claws were just centimeters away from his throat. He stared at me with narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Bowser asked furiously. He tried to move against my restraining hold, but couldn't even move my smallest toe. I smiled my full, jagged, cruel smile that struck fear in Bowser. His pupils shrank to tiny slits when I started to press down on his chest with my boot, causing the sickle claws barely draw blood from his chest.

"I want to know what exactly was going on when the airplane was flying around your ship, WHO was on that airplane any why they had access to Bullet Bills."

I told him seething with the uncontrollable rage that the Anti-Matter-Core gave me. I pressed harder with my foot down on his chest. I could hear bones cracking with the intense pressure my foot was producing. I could see tiny rivers of blood trickling down Bowser's chest.

"Let me up and I will tell you all that I know."

He said with a strained voice. Reluctantly, I took my foot off of his chest. As soon as I did that, Bowser took a huge breath of air. He was shaking from something.

_Was it fear, anger, nervousness, or hatred?_

I asked myself as he got up. I could see that he was obviously disturbed by the way he started walking immediately, taking giant strides to cover the distance left to the door. I started to walk again when I heard footsteps resound behind me once again. I looked over my shoulder as I continued to walk, but saw no one. I shifted my gaze back to the door, which was being held by Bowser. I stopped in the entryway of the door close to Bowser. I could see from the corner of my eye that He was giving me a disgusted look.

"I would advise watching the way you act around me "King" Bowser, I can do much more to you than you think."

I stated without looking at him. He stiffened and continued looking through the door. I continued walking into the castle. The door shut behind me causing a low creaking sound as it shut. I took in the surroundings of the castle's dark and dreary room. The only illumination that there was came from the dark aura that I was emanating. In front of me there was a staircase with two ways leading up to a single door that was covered with metal bumps. The door was a Red-Orange color and right above it was a insignia that I knew of too well. I looked away from the door and looked to my left. There was a hallway that had many doors on both sides of the hallway. At the end of that hallway was a dead end. I looked to the left and saw the same thing that was on the right side of the room. At this end of the hallway, there was a door that was unmarked. This piqued my interest, but I didn't go to see what the door led to. I shifted my gaze back to the room and looked for anything that was of use. I looked up at the ceiling to see a chandelier that was made of many different gems that sparkled with the natural light that came from the moon. Looking back down at the room, I noticed that there was a fireplace…..that had just been lit.

"Nice of you to attend this wonderful place."

A familiar voice said. I whipped around to see if anyone was behind me. There was no one behind me. I looked all around the room trying to see if anything was around. Finding nothing, I looked to the top of the stairs to see a weird-looking figure standing at the top of the stairs. The figure was covered in a Blue cloak that had a hood on it. The figure also had a Red shawl that was covering his his shoulders and neck. I had no idea why the figure had such clashing colors, but it bothered me for some reason. The figure also had gems that ringed his neck. These gems glittered in the soft Purple and Black light that I was emanating.

" And who are you?"

I asked in mock wonder. I sneered at the individual that was on the stairs. The figure snapped its fingers and immediately moved from where he was standing at the top of the stairs, to be placed in location three feet from where I was standing. It was then that I could see that this figure had a staff on its back.

"You have the audacity to ask me my name?"

The figure replied incredulously. I laughed a low growly laugh that made the figure twitch. I could tell that this individual, whoever this individual thought he was, had clearly not met me.

"You have the audacity to challenge me?"

I responded with a smile. I heard the heavy wooden door open once again. I turned to see who had entered the castle. I was about done with this individual, but what I saw had enticed me to leave this individual and take the next matter into my hands.

"They are here!"

A voice shouted.

"We need to get to the top of the castle as quickly as we can!"

The same voice wailed. I looked to see Bowser, Ivo and a badly beaten….thing. I didn't even know what this thing was, so I walked over to where the three were standing. The hooded figure followed me to where the others were standing as well.

"You have failed me for the last time!"

Bowser yelled at the thing. I could get a clear look at the thing now. It looked to be a bipedal turtle that had a Red shell on its back. It had scrapes and cuts all over its shell. Looking closer at it, I could see bits of bone protruding from the missing patches of scales. In these areas, there was blood leaking in rivers. Looking at the face of the thing, I could see that it had a similar facial structure of a yoshi, however, it was different in nose size. I could see the life leaving its eyes as Bowser continually tightened the hold on the thing's neck.

"Another failure your majesty?"

The hooded figure asked. Bowser turned from facing the thing. He smiled at the hooded figure and the figure nodded. Bowser turned back to look back at the thing.

"Do you know what we do to Koopa Troopa failures?"

Bowser asked with malice. The "Koopa" started to shudder and protest, but Bowser kept the thing in his massive hand. Bowser looked back to the hooded figure who was fidgeting with the staff that was on the individual's back.

"Have any great ideas Kamek?"

_So that's who this is. _

I thought to myself as the figure took the hood off of his head. His hands ended in pointed claws, very similar to how mine were. There were only two differences between me and this "Kamek" individual. The first one was that he didn't have as much power as me and the second thing was that he was not a strong as me, but what I could say about him was that he was very well versed in magic indeed. I could feel magic energy emanating from him.

"I have three your majesty."

Kamek replied. Bowser scowled at him.

"Why don't you just tell me them already!?"

Bowser yelled, causing the koopa shudder even more. Kamek sighed.

"The first one would be quick, but not painless."

Kamek stated. Bowser laughed quietly, looking straight at the koopa.

"And what may that be?"

Bowser asked. Kamek laughed a high, shrill laugh.

"The first one would be using that koopa as a "skipping stone" over the lava pit that you have."

Kamek started. This statement was responded to with a series of sobs by the koopa. Kamek took a deep breath.

"What about the second one Kamek?"

Bowser asked. I looked at kamek again. Now I could study his face. He was nothing that I had ever seen before. He looked like a yoshi that was crossed with a half-turtle and half goomba. He actually looked pretty intimidating in my opinion. I could also see that he had a ridiculous size of glasses that covered most of his face. The glasses were Bluish-Black in color. He also had fangs that went halfway to his chin.

_Not as intimidating as I could be, but what could those fangs be used for?_

I thought to myself as kamek started to speak again.

"This one is better than the first one your majesty!"

Kamek started.

"Just get to the point!"

Bowser roared, sending a huge jet of flame that almost reached the top of the castle. Kamek cleared his throat and started again.

"As I was saying, my second suggestion is that we make him into Turtle soup."

Kamek suggested with a mock shrug. The sobbing of the koopa became more pronounced now. Bowser and Kamek laughed together while the koopa cried for mercy. Bowser was obviously into the torture of his "Failures" because he was anxious to hear the third suggestion.

"The third one is relatively new to me, so I don't know if you'll approve of it."

Kamek's voice trailed off. To this, Bowser looked sternly with narrowed eyes at him.

"What is this new suggestion?"

Bowser asked with a bit of contempt in his voice. Kamek motioned to me with his head. This made me crack my knuckles in eagerness.

"I've always wanted know how hard it would be to break a koopa's shell."

I said menacingly as I walked over to the koopa. For some reason, Bowser had let the koopa go. I had also noticed that there was a battalion of koopas that were watching. They were assigned into rows by what seemed to rank or color. The first row consisted of five individuals that were similar in body composition as the one that was on the ground cowering in his shell. This row had koopas of green shell color, but what made these individuals special was the weaponry that they wielded. Each one carried a sledgehammer that was spiked on the sides of the hammer and they wore helmets that seemed to be very heavy, as the necks of these individuals seemed to be bulging with muscle mass. They kneeled before Bowser and Kamek. Next there was a row of larger, more bulkier versions of the koopa that was still cowering on the ground. These koopa's had red, cleated boots, were Blue in color, and had helmets on them. The muscle on these koopas astounded me since I thought that there were only the weak koopas that I saw when I entered this castle. These koopas knelt and now I could see the next row. The next row of koopas were similar in size and bulk, but lacked the armor that the other koopas that I had seen so far. I didn't know why the muscle mass of these koopas were concentrated in their arms, but I didn't care. These koopas kneeled and the next row came into view. This row consisted of koopas that had wings. Three of them were Red in color and the Other two were Green in color. These koopas were not very intriguing to me, so I didn't pay much attention to them, but the next row of individuals captured and kept my attention. This row was very vibrant and had very important-looking individuals in the line. They all wore masks of different colors and all of them were a different color. The first one in line wore a metal mask that only showed his eyes….which were similar to mine. He was a Maroon color and had cuts and bruises all over his body. The mask had cuts where the nostrils of the individual's nose was. This koopa was good in my eyes. He was menacing with his stance. He was square shouldered and was very strong-looking as muscles bulged from his arms and legs. His weapons were the best part about him because he was Dual-Wielding 20 Pound Spiked SledgeHammers. This one walked from his place in the line to stand by Bowser and took a sentry pose. I looked to the next one in line. This one was a deep Purple colored individual that was slender. All the muscle mass that he could have, he had. This individual had no mask, but his eye color was yellow with orange Irises. He had scars in a X pattern on his face. He had fangs that extended from the top of his mouth to his lower jaw. When he started to walk towards Bowser, he turned his back to me so I could see what weapon he had. He had two serrated machetes that seemed to be composed of a steel base with a titanium alloy. The blade was cut in such a way that made me marvel at its composition. Somehow, this individual was able to make Assassin Lizard spikes into the serrations. This one stood next to the Maroon colored individual. I then looked to the next one in line. This individual was blue in color. This one did not wear a mask, but had a bandanna covering most of his face. This one looked like a normal-looking koopa, but was much smaller in size and did not look too threatening. This individual was frail-looking and he walked with a limp towards the others that were standing next to Bowser in the sentry positions. The fourth one looked a lot like me. He was black in color and wore a mask that amplified his Red glowing eyes. Over the left side of his mask was a deep cut in the metal, giving this individual a menacing look. This one seemed to look normal, but when he moved, he astounded me with his speed. He moved so fast, that I was not able to see what weapon he could wield until he stood in his sentry pose next to bowser. The last individual in the line was something that I knew all too well.

"How nice of you to join us."

Bowser said with a laugh. The figure vaporized in the air and reformed right in front of Bowser.

"We have much to discuss King Bowser, but for now, make this execution interesting."

The figure said quietly. Bowser laughed again and motioning to me, he started to speak in a loud and booming voice.

"I will take option three Kamek!"

He declared. I looked at the trembling shell on the ground. I smiled to myself and I picked up the shell.

"My Elites and Kamek, accompany me to the top of the castle."

Bowser started. He looked directly at me.

"When you're done causing an example of this failure, you may accompany me to take part in battle if you so choose."

He said. After he dictated this, he opened the door and the Elites, the battalion, Kamek and the figure followed him into the castle. Now it was time for me to carry out what I wanted to do. I held the koopa in my hand. It wasn't heavy or dense. I tapped on the shell. It made a hollow thumping sound every time I tapped on it. I looked into the holes of the shell. In the hole where the head was supposed to be, I saw the fearful green eyes of the koopa, which made me smile.

"Where should I start?"

I asked the koopa. Sobbing came from the shell and a teardrop started to fall out from the shell. I threw the shell on the ground. I must've thrown it very hard since the shell shattered into pieces when it impacted the ground.

"Had enough yet Failure?"

I asked the koopa as it tried to stand up. I could see that the koopa had broken bones and now had new cuts, scrapes and bruises. I stomped on the ground and the koopa started to fall backwards slowly. There was Black lightning chains coming from the ground now. As the koopa fell backwards, I grabbed the koopa by the neck and threw the koopa up into the air.

"Hyper Beam!"

I shouted as the familiar surge of power flew through me. I could feel the temperature in my mouth grow as the energy concentrated in my mouth. I strained to keep the energy in my mouth as my cheeks bulged from the purge Dark Energy that I was about to expel. I opened my mouth and a dark stream of pure Anti-Matter that was electrically charged explode from my mouth. The stream streaked towards the koopa. I could see the tears streaming down the koopas cheeks as the stream impacted the koopa. There was an explosion of smoke and and I could see that the body of the koopa had exploded into pieces. As the pieces fell, I could see them melting from the pure Dark Matter that I had expelled. I saw the head of the individual had fallen at my feet. I picked up the head and to my surprise, the head of this individual was still alive. One of the individual's eyes was missing and the nose of this one had melted off, but somehow, he was still alive.

"It's a great thing that you're still alive."

I said with an evil smile. I pierced my nails into the head of the failure. His face started to wither and degrade into dust. As this happened, I could feel the soul of this individual enter mine to become fuel for my own ambitions. Seeing the head had withered to dust, I dropped the head of the individual and walked through the door to meet Bowser at the top of the castle. Knowing that time was limited, I sprinted up the stairs with my newfound power from this….thing.

_Why does my bone structure feel so strong and dense?_

I asked myself as I tore the metal door off of its hinges. I ran through the open door to see a battle raging in front of me. I smiled to myself and sauntered over to where Bowser was standing. He was standing with his arms crossed and a evil grin on his face. He shifted his eyes to look at me, but didn't move his body.

"Glad to see you could make it Abyss."

He said with a hint of joy in his voice. He motioned to the battle that was raging below. I just now noticed where we were placed in orientation. Were were on a 50-foot wall that looked similar to the castles I had seen before. We were standing in a three-foot-wide path made of solid cinder blocks. There were alterations in the height of the the walls.

These are probably where the archers are supposed to hide and counterattack with arrows.

I thought to myself as a stream of the the green hammer-wielding individuals prepared to make their next attack..

"On my command!"

Bowser shouted. The team took hammers off of their backs and took aim at something.

"Yes master!"

All of them replied in unison.

_If only I had minions as powerful and trained as this._

I thought to myself as Bowser gave the fire command.

"FIRE!"

He shouted with such force that a jet of fire singed the middlemost's shell. There was no reaction and this amazed me. I looked over the edge to see three people that were glowing with a brilliance that made me shield my eyes from their brightness. I growled to myself when I saw the colors of clothing that these people wore. I detested the colors Red, Green and Pink and the fact that these people were here made me even more enraged.

I saw a blur of Blue flash by from the upper left side of my left eye. I looked to see what was occupying that space.

"Oh, it's just him."

I said unimpressed when I saw who it was. Kamek was hovering on a broom next to Bowser's head.

"The intruders are passing right through your defenses your majesty."

Kamek reported quietly. Bowser stomped on the brick floor so hard, the bricks cracked. A huge boom went through the area and shards of cinder blocks flew everywhere.

"Why don't you tell me something useful for once!?"

Bowser screamed once again. This sent Kamek flying off of his broom. He landed hard on the ground, crying in pain as Bowser put his foot on his chest when he landed. I could hear cracking of a bone as he started to put his weight on Kamek's chest. Bowser leaned forward so that his mouth was close to Kamek's ear.

"Do not fail me this time Kamek."

He started. Kamek started to whimper.

"Otherwise you'll end up like that failure that you just saw executed."

Bowser finished as he took his foot off of Kamek's chest. Kamek took a huge gust of air back into his body.

"Regeneration."

Kamek whispered to himself. I saw his ribcage reform back into its original shape with sick cracking sounds. Kamek snapped his fingers together and his broom appeared next to him. He got on the broom and took off towards the highest point of the castle. Bowser turned to me.

"You know who these people are don't you?"

He asked me with an evil smile. His eyes started to turn completely Red. He also started to gain some muscle mass as he started to walk towards the giant staircase that led to the top of the castle. This intrigued me because I knew this individual to be under my rank of power. I took only one step before the door behind me exploded into splinters.


	10. Chapter 9 (Skirmish of the Forces)

Chapter 9 Skirmish of the forces

John's P.O.V.

The door exploded, sending chunks of wood and metal into my back. I casually looked over my shoulder to see three people standing where the door should have been. The three people took a few steps forward and stopped a few feet short of me. I turned around completely to face these people. The brilliance that they held was no longer with them. I crossed my arms and chuckled to myself as I shook my head.

"Why is it that you keep trying to interfere with our plans?"

I asked the Red-Clothed person. This statement got a reaction from the Green and Pink clothed individuals.

"You have no idea who you're messing with!"

The pink one shouted. I half-grinned to myself.

"If that's the case, why don't you save yourself this time _Princess Peach?_"

I said with a venomous sneer. I turned around as Peach stepped back in fear. I looked at the Red-Clothed individual.

"And don't think that I know you too Mario."

I said with the same sneer. He stepped back to guard peach. Then I looked to the Green-clothed individual.

"And then there's Luigi, who plays the Second Fiddle to Mario."

I finished. All three of them looked at me in awe.

"How do you know who we are?"

Mario asked me with narrowed eyes. He stepped forward and stomped his right foot on the ground. As he did that, he materialized a fireball in both of his hands. Peach started to edge towards the door and Luigi was already cowering behind Mario. Mario wound up his right arm and threw the fireball. It was thrown so hard, it warped to stretch longways as it rocketed towards me. I laughed to myself and as the fireball was about to hit me, I caught it and put the fireball in my mouth. I crunched the fireball in between my teeth. The fireball spewed jets of flame as I crunched on it. The fireball didn't last long and I finished it quickly. I sneered at Mario.

"I'ma don't think you can do that."

I said with venomous mockery. I then started to laugh.

"This is the prince of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

I asked with complete mockery. Mario had beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"M-mario?"

Luigi asked with fear as he stopped cowering behind Mario. Mario turned to him with a smile, which made Luigi look happier and more confident. I stomped on the ground so hard, Luigi and Mario jumped back to the door in fear while the ground filled almost completely with Purple-Black lightning bolts. They crackled with the heat they were producing. Mario emerged along with Luigi from the door. Both of them carried a Red and Orange flower in their right hands. My breath caught in my throat when I saw the flowers. Now it was Mario who was smiling. He crushed the flower between his hands and a bright light filled the area momentarily. When the light died down, I could see that his clothing had changed colors. From his original Red and Blue overall colors, these had now changed to become white clothing and orange overalls.

"Yippee!"

He cried along with Luigi as he did a backflip in place. I looked past Mario to see that indeed Luigi and Peach had gained this Fire power as well. Mario put his hands together and a fireball materialized in the space between them. The fireball gradually grew in size until is was about the size of a bowling ball. When it reached that size, Mario went back to standing with his head bowed so that the brim of his cap hid most of his face. He was breathing quickly and I could see the veins in his hands. It was now that I could see that his hands were on fire and were glowing an Orange/Yellow color. He slowly took what looked like to be a long towel out of his pocket. He tied the ends of the towel around his neck while the steady breeze flew over us. I looked at the towel that was billowing in the breeze. In my opinion, he looked pretty dumb with that fake cape tied around his neck.

"What's that supposed to be?"

I asked with complete mock once more. Luigi stepped next to mario and he cracked his knuckles. Luigi and Mario looked at the ground for a moment and then both of them looked at me.

"Letsa GO!"

Both of them shouted. Mario picked up Luigi and he held him by his left foot and started to twirl around. After about three seconds, he let go of Luigi and a Green aura formed around him as barreled through the air towards me. I put my arms up in a X defense stance and the impact of Luigi hitting me sent me skidding back from my original placement on the bridge. I returned to my fighting position, but that was a mistake. Mario was already throwing an uppercut under my chin. I reacted too late and I was sent into the air. I was stunned by the amount of power this individual possessed. I had barely enough time to unfurl my wings as I saw Mario jump up from the bridge. I tried to maneuver myself away from him, but he grabbed my boot and threw me downwards. I planned my next move while I was falling.

I cannot seem to get a hit on him. What is causing him so fast and strong?

This was my thought as I impacted the bridge. Before I hit the bridge, I had flipped over in the air so I had landed on my feet. The impact from the ground sent shockwaves of numbness up and down my legs. I was angry now. Mario landed right behind me and tried to grab my tail, but with unworldly speed, I turned and grabbed him by his arm and arced him over my head and slammed him on the ground in front of me.

"Mario!"

The Princess cried when she saw Mario slammed into the brick bridge. He moaned softly and with an evil smile I grabbed his shoulder again. I lifted him again and arced him over my head and slammed him on the ground behind me. I repeated this action three times until Mario had stopped moving and Peach was crying for Mario's mercy. Luigi had started crying too. This reaction fueled my desire to rage even more.

_Wham_

Mario impacted the ground hard. I could see that his breathing was very shallow and that he had broken bones.

I'ma don't understand!"

Luigi started. As he said this, I saw Mario's clothing color change back to his original coloration. I looked up from my torture victim to see that Luigi now had Fire Rods in both of his hands that were Green in color. I could sense for the first time that the coward Luigi actually meant business this time. He hit the swords together causing sparks and jets of flame to spew from both of the swords.

"You want your worthless brother back?"

I asked him as I held Mario by his neck over the edge of the wall. His body dangled precariously over the edge. I looked with a malicious smile back at Luigi, who was edging towards me cautiously.

" If I fight you for my brother, would you honor my one question?"

Luigi asked me as he dropped both of the Fire Rods on the brick ground. The rods sparked and spewed tiny jets of flame while they were on the ground. Luigi backed away slowly from the Fire Bars.

"If I fight you somewhere else, would you release my brother?"

He asked me from a distance away from me. I looked at my enemy who was so close to being defeated. I looked at how weak and frail he was, how weak he was, how….vulnerable he was and yet Luigi wanted to put his life on the line to save his brother. I laughed, which got a worried gasp from Luigi and the princess who was now beside him.

"Are you serious about your offer?"

I asked as I threw Mario back onto the bridge. He landed with a soft moaning sound right in front of the princess and Luigi.

"Mario!"

The both of them exclaimed at the same time. Luigi put both of the Fire Bars on his back and to my amazement, was able to extinguish them by putting them in a sheath that I had not seen before.

_It's probably an Invention from that wretched Doctor E. Gadd._

I thought to myself as I started to walk up the giant metal staircase that led to the very top of Bowser's castle. I turned around for a brief moment.

"Make sure you hold to your promise Luigi; I've always wanted the soul of a human at my disposal."

I called to him as I turned back around before stopping at the last step. I didn't know why I stopped, but for some reason, I felt that I was falling. I looked over the side of the stairwell…..that was actually falling. Pieces of the bridge were falling all around me. Some were falling faster than others and some pieces were larger than others. I leaped off of the stairs that were plummeting to the ground. I jumped from piece to piece, slowly causing my way up to the top of the castle. It was a slow, tiring process, but showing others the power I possessed was more important than saving my energy for battle. I jumped off of the last chunk of material, a pedestal that was supposed to hold something, and landed with a loud boom on the top of the castle. Smoke and steam billowed all around me. I took a deep breath and inhaled the smoke around me to see the scene that was before me. We were at the top of the castle. It was about ten feet by three feet and was a perfect rectangular shape. Bowser held something in his hand that was partially obscured from my view. There was a flag in the very middle of this area. The flag was black and had the Bowser insignia on it. When Bowser heard me, he turned to look at me.

"How nice of you to be here Master John."

He said with an evil smile. I just looked at him with my arms crossed.

"Why not cut the chatter and get to the point?"

I asked with annoyance. Bowser laughed to himself. He took out the object from behind him. It was something that appeared to have a base color of Gold, but at the same time, had Red polka dots that were numerous across this object. It had the appearance of a mushroom, but I didn't know why Bowser was holding such an item. Bowser held the item up into the air. As he did so, a huge peal of thunder crashed through the area, causing me flinch from the sudden noise. I knew that thunder was only the rapid expansion of air, but sudden noises made me uneasy. Right after the peal of thunder went through the area, a huge Purple colored lightning bolt streaked through the sky and into the mushroom that Bowser held. After the light subsided, I blinked my eyes a couple times to get the dancing lights back out of my eyes. I shook my head softly and looked back at the mushroom. It had changed from its original coloration. The mushroom was now Black with Red spots. The mushroom also now had eyes and also possessed fangs. Bowser opened his mouth and ate the mushroom. As he chewed it I could see that his body had started to change. I heard the pounding of running feet coming up the steps as Bowser started his transformation. I could see who made the sounds when the gaggle of troops reached the top of the castle. I had no idea how they did, but it didn't bother me much. It was almost the entirety of the troops that had seen the execution of the failure. They ran over to Bowser.

"We couldn't hold him off my king."

The green hammer-wielding koopas said in unison. Bowser roared and sent all of them sailing over the edge with a giant hand. Not wanting to be bored anymore, I looked back to the giant crack in the bridge. I chuckled to myself when I saw Luigi and peach putting on weird hats with wings. I materialized my weapon in my hand. My weapon was something that was passed down by family lineage.

_That's at least what Bowser told me._

I thought to myself as I saw the familiar scythe appear in my hands. The long Ivory shaft was cold in the air that breezed past me. Holding this weapon made me feel even more powerful. I looked at the Sapphire blade that was slowly materializing before my sight. I saw the curved blade glow a soft light Blue color with the souls of my defeated enemies. I could see their pitiful souls moving like dust within the blade. I also saw the intricate markings that were being cut into the blade as it continued materializing. I then looked to the bottom of the scythe to see the end of the materialization process; the end being marked by the presence of a sharp Ivory tip that was partially serrated on the bottom of the scythe. I held the heavy scythe in my dominant right hand and I smiled a nightmarish and jagged smile at Luigi and Peach who flew slowly over my head to reach the castle's highest point. As they flew over my head, I resisted the urge to cut mario in half with my scythe.

_You'll get the ability to do that later, but for now, just keep fueling yourself with anger and hatred._

I told myself as I started to walk slowly up the steps. As I walked up the stairs I considered my options.

_Luigi doesn't seem to be very powerful. All of the times i've seen Mario and Luigi in battle, Luigi was always the one that cowered behind Mario._

I thought to myself as I scaled the stairs. It was then that I understood what made my bone structure seem so strong and dense.

_It was the failure that had strengthened me! _

I exclaimed to myself in my head as I stepped over the last step that led to the highest part of Bowser's Castle and to my amazement, a lot had changed. I put my weapon on my back and while I walked towards my impending victory, I thought of a name for my weapon. I only had to take about 18 steps to reach the area that I had just left. I looked at what had changed. The flag that Bowser had on the top of the castle was now impaled into Mario's left shoulder, Luigi was guarding Peach with his dual Fire Bars and I noticed that Bowser had changed. The first thing that I noticed was his body structure. He had gained a lot of muscle mass as I could see muscles bulging from his arms and legs. His scale color had also changed from a vibrant Yellow and Orange to a dull grey color. Next, my attention was drawn to the size of his claws. From his five-clawed hand, he now had a four-clawed one and the claws were now at least a half-foot in length. His hair color had changed from a vibrant Orange and Red color to a sickly Maroon and Orange color. He had larger metal rings that ended in larger, more pointed spikes that sent chills up and down my back. Looking up to his head, I could see the changes that had taken place. I could see that Bowser's mouth had grown much larger, as a minute trace of saliva was dripping from his lower jaw. His fangs were pointed, a sickly yellow color and were numerous in quantity. He now had a dragon-like face that was scaled. His eyes were now a base color of Black with Yellow slitted pupils. He now also had demonic horns that were very sharp at the tips. His shell was now an Emerald Green color and the spikes were now black on the base and Gold at the tips. His tail was longer than his previous one, and it now had spikes that rose like scattered bones from the the base of the tail. I walked to the center of the rectangle and snapped my fingers. This got attention from Bowser and Luigi. when I snapped my fingers, DeathBringers instantly appeared all around Bowser and Luigi and the DeathBringers started to orbit the two. These DeathBringers were different in color, composition and appearance. These DeathBringers I liked very much since they reflected me exactly. These DeathBringers were Black in color and had A Purple-Black aura around them. The structure of them were similar to mine, as they possessed jagged, pointed teeth that ringed the long and slender upper and lower jaw of these DeathBringers. Their eye sockets were devoid of everything, except for the nightmare-inducing Red pinpoints of light that sent Red glittering orbs that dissipated into the air. The next part of these DeathBringers I liked the best. As I raised my hand to command the DeathBringers to charge, a dark Red substance started leaking from their eyes. I could tell that Bowser and Luigi were scared of these new weapons of mine. I lowered my hand back to my side and crossed my arms.

"How'z about we do this the way we agreed to Luigi?"

I asked him as I pushed Bowser aside. He growled and forcefully turned me by my shoulder so that I was face to face with this monstrous Bowser.

"Do not fail me this time."

He said quietly to me as he turned me back around to face Luigi. I quickly turned around to see if the monster was still behind me. To my amazement and to some concern, he wasn't there. The DeathBringers maneuvered through the air so that they were stacked on top of each other on both sides of me. There were six on each side of me and they all wanted blood. I could tell by the way they nudged me softly that they were eager to see battle….and blood. I took my scythe off of my back and swung it so hard, an arc of pure, forced air cut through the ground and nearly missed Luigi who scowled at me.

" oops, I didn't know I could do that."

I said with a sneer. Luigi was obviously upset now.

"Letsa go."

He said softly as he lunged away from his starting point. He swung up with the left Fire Rod. I parried the shot with the blade of my scythe and Luigi used the other Fire Bar to slice my vulnerable neck. I was slow in this reaction because I didn't think that Luigi could think more than one step ahead of a task. The Fire Bar barely nicked my neck. With incredulous speed, I grabbed the hilt of the Fire Bar and used my scythe to pole-vault over Luigi. This action flipped Luigi on his back. I could tell that he now possessed a broken arm by the sickening crack that went through the rectangular area. I turned quickly to jam the tip of my scythe's base into Luigi's chest, but as I turned, Luigi was already back up eating a Super Mushroom.

"What's wrong Luigi? Can't take a couple hits?"

I taunted as he ate the mushroom. I saw the bones in his arm reset and gain a little muscle in his arms and legs. He dusted himself off and looked back at his Fire Bars. there was even wear to them as there were only 5 fireballs left on both of the Fire Bars. Luigi picked the Fire Bars back up and looked directly at me.

"I assure you, I'ma gonna win."

Luigi stated as he put the Fire Bars back in their respective sheaths. I pointed the scythe's base tip

right at Luigi. He started to shiver a little.

"And why may that be?"

I asked as I put the scythe back on my back. I got my answer as Luigi pulled out a familiar looking knife out of his overall pocket that was on his chest. My breath caught in my throat when I saw what the knife was.

"Where did you get that knife?"

I asked with a strained voice through my nightmarish teeth. Luigi smiled to himself and waved the knife in front of him.

"Im'a afraid I can't tell you that one."

Luigi said with a crazy smile. His eyes flashed momentarily and I could see that he was starting to be taken over with something, but I couldn't tell what it was. His irises turned from Blue to Green and he brandished the knife's point towards me.

"Then I guess i'll have to beat it out of you."

I said with an evil smile. Luigi lunged from his position and swung the knife backhand. I could tell that he was aiming for my throat because he swung up. I casually sidestepped the attack and shrugged.

"Why do you try to kill something that's already dead?"

I asked Luigi as he resetted and swung again aiming for my throat. I stomped on the ground hard so that I could change back to my original form. The stomp brought the Purple-Black chain lightning that sent Luigi into a slow fall. There was a flash of light as I returned to my vessel's form. I could see that Luigi was still falling backwards. Since I knew that he was trying really hard to try and kill me, I gave him a little leeway to live.

_If he's going to try that hard to kill me and fail miserably, I should wait to kill him in the hopes that one day he might actually be formidable._

I reasoned to myself as I saw the DeathBringers disintegrate into dust. Before they could all vanish, I used the one closest to me and caught Luigi from falling over the edge of the castle. I snapped my fingers and that DeathBringer vanished, leaving dust on Luigi's back. Luigi recovered right after I caught him and he bent over to pick the knife up from the ground, but I was quicker. I opened my mouth and used my tongue to grab the knife. I succeeded and as the knife traveled back to me, Luigi made a wild lunge for the knife. He missed the knife and fell flat on his face. Apparently, I had tired him so much that he didn't get up from where he was laying. The knife entered my mouth and as soon as it hit my tongue, my mouth was flooded with a horrible metallic taste that gave me instant nausea. My vision started to blur and my head swam in the vision I was losing. I could barely see Luigi look up from the ground with a huge smile on his face. I took the knife out of my mouth and stuck it in my left shoulder. As I did this, I blacked out.

_You are not done yet. I will give you all the energy required to stomp those pests into the ground._

The voice said as I fell to the ground. Somehow, I was lifted from the ground to stand in the posture I was standing in before I hit the ground. I felt a sudden rush of power explode through my muscles and I lunged from where I was standing and with one fluid motion, I grabbed the knife from my shoulder and plunged the knife into Luigi's right shoulder to pin him to the ground. I succeeded and he screamed in pain as he was impaled to the ground. I laughed a decisive, sinister laugh. I kneeled next to Luigi so that my mouth was next to his right ear. He could barely lift his head from the ground.

"Looks like you lost Luigi."

I started. I could hear sobs coming from Luigi as I stood up once more. I felt for the scythe that was on my back. I grasped it and held the blade to Luigi's throat. I used the blade in such a way that it didn't cut his throat, but made him wince and sob in pain as I angled his head up to my face.

"That means that you need to pay the piper."

I said maliciously along with a sneer. I was about to yank the blade up so that Luigi's head would go rolling over the ground, but I was stopped by A massive RoundHouse kick that I saw from the corner of my eye. I wasn't fast enough to dodge, so I took the huge blow to the head. All I knew was that this boot that impacted my head was a Steel-Toed one. I was sent reeling across the rectangular area with the searing pain of the kick that blasted through my head. I tripped over my own feet close to where the edge of the rectangular area was. I rolled quickly to the left and saw a set of three long blades impact and stick into the bricks where I was just laying seconds ago. I got back to my feet shaking with pain and rage. Through my blurry and swimming vision, I could barely make out the figure of my Nemesis: Emperor the Yoshi. I shook my head vigorously to make sure that I wasn't seeing things. I felt for the scythe that was supposed to be on my back. To my dismay, it wasn't there, but it didn't bother me. Instead, I took about three steps forward and folded my arms. I could see Emperor had obviously came prepared for battle. I thought it was hilarious to see him with plated armor that covered most of his body. The armor was colored gold and black and had intricate markings that added to his regal appearance. He had Reborn on his back. This made me growl deeply, to which, Emperor drew the Reborn off of his back. I looked to the people that were beside him. I could see Mario on the ground next to Emperor, Luigi on the other side of Emperor and Peach leaning against him. I laughed to myself as Emperor reached down and yanked the knife out of Luigi's shoulder. Luigi exclaimed in pain as Emperor completed the action. Luigi had streams of tears running down both of his cheeks. Emperor knelt beside Luigi and started to say something to him. As Emperor talked to Luigi, I took the time to think about what Emperor was talking about. I looked back to the sky.

_My first question is where he got that armor from._

I thought to myself.

_The United Island Chain has very few resources in terms of metals. The only metals that they have found that I've stolen so far were Magnesium, Uranium, Steel, Bronze, Gold, Mercury, Copper and Aluminum._

I thought about this as I looked at Emperor's armor. It did not have the consistency of steel and it did not look to be heavy to Emperor because he was not straining at all.

My next question is how Mario, Peach and Luigi were still standing.

I knew from the teachings of Bowser that it takes only 25 pounds of force to break the weakest bone in the human body. I looked back from staring off into the dark and cloudy sky.

_Apparently I stare off into space when I think._

I told myself as I focused back on Emperor, who had unfurled the Reborn. He waved it in a circle shape and rested it on his shoulder with the head facing the sky.

"What's that? Some kind of circus trick that you've been practicing?"

I asked him. Emperor did nothing as I looked for my scythe. Emperor could see that I was looking for my weapon. He smiled a little and took the scythe from his back. I was astounded, but I didn't show it. I remembered something that Bowser had told me when I was going through training as I slowly walked towards Emperor.

_Do not give any emotion to your opponent. If you do, you will lose the psychological advantage over your opponent and you will lose every fight you engage in._

I stopped when I was about three feet away from him. I could feel the change in my muscles and my bone density as the Anti-Matter-Core wanted to take over. Emperor could see that too and he nodded.

"I guess we'll settle this the old-fashioned way I guess."

I stated flatly looking with complete disgust at Luigi. He was busy being healed with some sort of magic by Peach.

"And as for you Luigi, I hope that you take into consideration just how lucky you are to have someone that would save and value your pitiful life."

I said with mock pity as I stabbed my finger into his broken shoulder which made him wince and whimper. As I rose back to take my place, Emperor grabbed me with a grip that rivaled Iron Vice Grips. He brought his mouth to my ear.

"If you ever...do that again….I will make sure that you don't come back this time."

He said seething with rage. He shoved me back so hard, I must've slid three feet across the brick ground. Thunder roared in the distance and it started to rain. I felt no pain in my shoulder, nor anywhere else. I could see Emperor return to the stance that he was in before I had tormented Luigi. He threw me my scythe and I put it on my back. I still didn't know how Emperor was able to steal something from off of my back, but I didn't think much of it. What I did pay attention to was the way that he was standing and breathing. His breaths were hastily drawn and his stance wavered A little as he drew his breaths.

_These signs are consistent with muscle fatigue and torn tendons._

I told myself as Emperor launched from his position. With one fluid motion, he took the Reborn off of his back and swung the blade upwards to try and throw me off balance. I sidestepped the blow and Emperor swung the Reborn with a backhanded slice that nearly missed my throat. I rolled backwards so I could gain some distance and time to think. Emperor lunged again and curled the Reborn. He threw the Reborn so that it would act as a Boomerang. Once again, he aimed for my throat. I sidestepped the thrown weapon and caught it. Emperor resetted and once he saw that I had the Reborn his jaw dropped. I casually put the Reborn on my back and smiled.

"What? Did you think that I wouldn't bring at least some challenge to the battle?"

I asked Emperor who now had blades sprouting from the spaces between his fingers. As the blades grew longer, blood started to seep from Emperor's skin. I smiled to myself and I took the Reborn and my scythe off of my back. I dropped them unceremoniously to the ground. I turned back to see Emperor travelling through the air at a fast pace. He had his right arm drawn back to stab me through my chest. I looked to see that I was close to the edge. Not wanting to fall over the edge, I took a few steps forward and did a somersault so that I was closer to the middle of the area. Emperor landed on the ground where I was just standing.

_He must've retracted the blades _

I told myself when that area of ground exploded into smoke and broken blocks. I heard Emperor growl and I could see two pinpoints of black glowing light pierce through the smoke. They were ringed with a Red color that made a single chill go down my back. Emperor launched again and this time, I was not ready. Emperor hit the ground right in front of me and he made an an upward slice with the blades that cut me from my chest to the base of my neck. While I was still stunned, Emperor sweept me with his left leg and I fell to the ground on my back. The wind was knocked from my lungs and I had just enough time to roll to the right to escape the crushing blow of Emperor's fist. The blow broke all of the blocks that I was resting on. I had to use my special ability Air Step to avoid getting sliced by Emperor's next attacks.

"You've made your last mistake!"

I shouted furiously as I let the changes take over me.

I_'ve never been able to conjure much before, but why is it now that I can take this power and use it? _I asked myself while I ran over the air to the middle of the area so that I could let the changes take over my body. I felt the adrenaline surge through me once more, causing my muscle mass unworldly strong and large. I felt my spine decompress and grow thicker to accommodate...new changes?.

_What's happening to me?_

I asked myself frantically as searing pain went through my body. I could see my claws grow larger and my muscle mass increase but now I had a sense of urgency. I felt the magic course through me as I involuntarily materialized DeathBringers all around me. A large stream of dust and steam started to waver around me as the changes took over. My consciousness started to falter as the changes took place. No horns grew from my head and my bone structure didn't become more dense either. There was just….pain. As the wind gradually picked up, the smoke and dust swirled around me faster and gained more depth. I could see Emperor looking at me with a bewildered expression through the wind that had created A Black vortex around me. I saw the familiar symbol flash in front of me and my sight went completely white. I had the sense of falling for some reason.

_Do you remember your purpose in life Abyss?_

A voice asked me. I opened my eyes slowly to adjust to the white void that I was in. I got up from the ground and brushed myself off. Siren was standing across from me. She had her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

_You were a disgrace to the family._

She said without moving her mouth. I reached for the scythe that was on my back, but it wasn't there.

_Why did you side with darkness my child?_

She asked me. I tried to move, but couldn't. I was able to bring out my blades, but with my current state, they would be useless. Siren walked close to me and put her head on my right shoulder and sighed heavily.

_I love you my son, but what you are trying to achieve, you will not succeed before being lost completely to the darkness._

I felt compelled to speak with her, even though I was someone of the dark that despised anything that didn't further my objective for world power.

" What do you mean by my purpose?"

I asked. Siren took her head off of my shoulder and took a few steps back.

_You remember what I told you when my next child was being planned for?_

She asked me. I thought about it for a second. I despised Emperor and I wanted to be in the spotlight, but I should care for my family and friends.

_You are thinking correctly, but your friendships have flaws and you will gain nothing but hatred and darkness._

I shook my head angrily.

"You don't know me!"

I shouted. Siren winced and her bottom jaw twitched sending chills down my spine.

_I'm going to give you one more chance to set yourself on the correct path my child._

These were the last words that I heard before I was thrusted back into reality.


	11. Chapter 10 (GENESIS)

Chapter 10 G.E.N.E.S.I.S

Bowser's P.O.V

I awoke to be sleeping in my bedroom. Candles lit spaces of the dark room, sending shadows that flickered and danced in the dimly lit room. I looked at my limbs to see that they were covered in casts that were spotted with blots of Red that I assumed to be blood. The heavy metal door creaked open and something was thrown into the room with me. I waited a while to see if anything was going to happen. Seeing or experiencing nothing but pain, I sat up in the bed I was in. looking at my familiar surroundings, I could see nothing new. I looked across the room to see the body of Abyss lying on the floor. He was not moving, but he had a steady rise and fall to his chest as he drew labored breaths. I could hear blood gurgling in his throat as he tried to draw air into his lungs. I swung my legs over the side of the steel bed and waited for the pain in my head to subside. I shook my head despite having a headache to clear my vision. I looked over to Abyss who was trying to bring himself off of the floor. Despite his inability to perform, I felt that he had succeeded in his mission to stop my hated enemies.

_After all, I did have the item I was looking for. _

I thought to myself as the door burst open and Kamek barreled into the room along with my Elites. Kamek tripped and fell onto Abyss who screamed in pain. Kamek scrambled off of Abyss to stand and salute me.

"At ease soldier."

I said breathlessly as I stood up from my sitting position. As I stood to my feet, I heard the creaking of my bones as they started to support the weight of my body. I heard the bandages that covered my legs snap as my muscles flared. I looked at Kamek who was smiling.

"I take it that my medicinal formula worked."

He said with interesting smile. I walked over to Kamek and Abyss who was still on the floor. As I walked over to Kamek and the others, my steps reverberated through the room, causing the vases, books, sculptures and my relics shake from the sheer weight of my body. I grabbed Kamek by the front of his cloak and brought myself face to face with him. I narrowed my eyes and growled deeply.

"What happened to Abyss and I?"

I asked him seething with rage. Kamek said nothing. He started to shudder and squirm in my grasp.

"Everything is useless!"

I yelled. I was furious now. For years I had tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Countless times I had almost succeeded, but was stopped by mere humans.

_What is it that those humans have that I don't'?_

I asked myself as I dropped Kamek on the floor. I picked up Abyss who moaned softly as I draped him over my right shoulder. I was getting desperate and I needed to show at least some progress to the one who was above me in rank.

"My Elites will join me, and as for you Kamek, you're going to stay here and clean up."

I commanded them as I walked out of the room. I knew exactly where I was going to go. This place, where I was about to go, was in the deepest parts of my castle.

_Even though most of the castle is destroyed, I still think that area still stands_.

I told myself as my Elites formed a perfect line behind me. We walked in perfect unison with our steps in the same time and our strides being the same in length. We turned left from my bedchamber and walked down the long hallway. I could hear my Elites talking about something as I shifted my eyes to look over my shoulder. They were pointing to the various tapestries and paintings that lined both sides of the walls and the hallway. After a short while, we came to the steps that led down to the main floor. I turned from my path to descend the stairs. I grasped the railing with my right hand to steady myself as I walked down the stairs. I reached the bottom of the stairs with chills all over. I felt...strong...maybe invincible.

_What did he do to me?_

I wondered as I walked to the middle of the floor. The sun was shining right over the chandelier Without the light, I was unable to open the floor without channeling magic energy through the chandelier since the floor was sealed with a light-based magic lock. Since all magic has to be tied to an object for the magic to be usable and stable, it's a necessity to treat all magic with caution. I dropped Abyss onto the floor and looked up at the chandelier. The gems on it sparkled in the morning light. Shadows were casted all over from the crumbling remains of my castle. I lifted my right arm with my palm facing upwards. When my arm was fully extended, an orb of light formed in the palm of my hand. I then brought my right palm down and slammed my palm against the floor in the middle of the intricately designed space under the chandelier. A bright light flashed for a moment and then the floor opened, revealing a large set of spiral stairs that led down to the place I despised the most. I turned to my Elites.

"All of you stay here, but Kamek and Reaper are coming with me."

All of my elites saluted me and the little blue koopa went to get Kamek.

_I have a name for him, but I didn't want to have to give names to all of my subjects._

I thought this as I started to walk down the spiral stairs. I took only a few steps before the intense cold and heavy air fell on me. I could hear Abyss having a coughing fit as the air changed. As I walked down the steps, the air got colder and more heavy. It was only a short time after that that I saw the floor close over my head. I could also see mold growing on the walls as well as rats scurrying over the steps. Occasionally I would step on one and instantly kill it, but that didn't matter to me. I could tell when I was at the midway point when I saw the familiar Blue glow of my most prized possession. Its light casted a Blue glow over everything that it could light. I made haste to reach the floor quickly in eagerness and in nervousness. I reached the last step with almost no breath and aches all over my body. This was the place where I had first engineered my entire army. This was the place that my Elites called the Cemetery.

"You're going to like this place Abyss."

I told him as I placed him on the table in front of a large glass cylinder. I could hear his breaths becoming more shallow and labored. I walked over to my table which was littered with papers, vials and lights. I rifled through the papers to find the work that I had put into this new machine that I had made. While I was looking for these series of papers, I heard a thump resound through the room. I turned to see Reaper impact the floor and Kamek come to a halt right above him.

"How nice of you to join me."

I said as I turned back to to the machine. I sulked a little as I read the paper. I had noticed that some of my equations never got solved, which meant this may not work. I regained my composure and turned back to Reaper and Kamek. Kamek was now standing on the ground looking at me with contemptuous stare.

"What are you trying to accomplish here my King?"

Kamek started. I grinned slightly because I knew that Kamek was scared of this machine. Reaper crossed his arms and took off his mask. He shook his head and beads of sweat fell to the ground. It was a while since I had seen Reaper's face. I had named him well, as his face was was leathery and filled with cuts. His eyes were a little sunken in and his nose was missing. He put the mask back on and I shook my head to get the image of Reaper's face out of my mind. I cleared my throat and pointed to the machine behind me.

"This machine I have named G.E.N.E.S.I.S.. this is short for Genetic Exchanging Nautical Engineering Splicing Insertion Software and this will be responsible for the changes that will get you ready for battle."

I told them. I could see Reaper breathing quicker and Kamek jumping a little in excitement. I knew that Kamek always wanted to be more of a help, but was unable to since he lacked strength in multiple areas. Reaper looked at me with annoyance.

"So when do I get to use this machine?"

He asked me. I walked back to the table that had all of the papers and lights. Kamek followed me to the table.

"What are you looking for my King?"

Kamek asked me as I searched for the rest of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S's papers. I turned to Kamek and pushed him to where I was standing a couple of seconds ago.

"I was looking for my papers that were in regards to the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. since you are so excited about it, you can find them."

I said looking at the machine. It had started filling with water from the little pipe openings that were near the top of the machine. These were what I called "cleaners". These were responsible for causing sure that the machine was as clean as it could be. In this mixture there was a bleach/disinfectant that was able to kill bacteria as strong as smallpox. I watched the liquid slowly fall down the sides of the machine in rivers. I put my hands behind my back and started to pace nervously. The machine made a high pitched hissing sound and then it made a mechanical beeping noise that signaled that the machine was ready. A Green light illuminated the room partially. Steam rose from the machine's floor, giving the room an even more sinister feel to it. This steam was the liquid nitrogen that was responsible for cooling the machine as it went through the startup process. The back part of the machine opened and metallic restraints appeared. I picked up Abyss, who struggled slightly against my grasp. I held him by his shoulders and fastened the restraints against his limbs. Abyss's eyes snapped open and he started to strain more.

"What's going on!?"

He wheezed. I smiled and took a few steps back to stand with Kamek and Reaper who was twitching. I could tell that he was eager to use this device. Abyss's words were muffled as the machine's transparent doors shut. I knew from the design of the machine that these doors had to be within the specs for water protection.

_This means that these doors had to be exerting enough force to close off air and water, but also had to stand being in contact with water for some time. Looking back at my papers, I know that the doors were made within IP68 specs. _

I thought about this as Abyss started squirming against the restraints. Water started filling the machine. Kamek started to shudder as the water level started to climb the height of the machine. The cylinder itself was eight feet tall; tall enough to accommodate someone of my size, but could also be used for other applications. While the water rose, I found that I was tapping my foot against the floor, with my nails causing clicking sounds that reverberated throughout the floor area. The water was nearing Abyss's neck now. He had stopped straining and was now doing nothing. Two monitors appeared from both sides of the machine, showing Abyss's heart rate and his vital signs. I ran over to the table that had the papers to grab a clipboard off of the table. I found the clipboard just as Abyss started to scream again. I could tell that Abyss was in a sort of "Survival Mode" by the way the metal restraints were bending against his strains. I knew that the restraints would hold him, but I didn't know if they would hold against the next part. I wrote down the important parts of information from the two monitors and started to pace again as three holes in the machine opened to reveal black hoses that had three claws and a long and sharp needle in the middle of the hoses. The hoses moved in a similar fashion to that of a snake. The hoses writhed in the water as they searched for Abyss's body. The middle of the hoses flashed Red and rhythmically as they searched for Abyss. I knew from the papers that each hose had to go in a specific part of Abyss's body. The topmost one had to go into his shoulder, the middlemost one had to go into his side under the last rib and the bottommost one had to go into his lower leg. Abyss struggled against the restraints with more vigor now. He opened his eyes in time to see the hoses slither up his body. Abyss cried out once more as the topmost hoses clamped onto his shoulders. The hoses extended their needles and plunged them into his shoulders. Abyss's eyes snapped all the way open and then his body went limp.

"Now you've done it!"

Reaper exclaimed. I looked at him with a scowl, but he turned his head to look at me with disgust.

" You've killed him; Now how do you plan to take over the Mushroom Kingdom?"

He asked me with folded arms. I could tell that he was impatient and wanted to use the machine. Instead of tearing into him, I turned back to writing on the clipboard. I looked up at the monitors to see that everything was still normal. Brainwaves were flowing, his pulse was normal, his breathing was steady and his heart was still beating. The middle hoses clamped down on Abyss's body and injected their needles into him. Soon after, the bottommost hoses had done their duty as well. I started to walk back to the table to get more papers when a huge boom went through the area. The ground shook with the force of the explosion, knocking Kamek off of his feet. I growled to myself.

"Kamek, Reaper!"

I shouted. Kamek scrambled to his feet and Reaper just stood there with his arms crossed.

"Battle stations."

I said with a huge, sinister smile. Kamek looked at Reaper, who shrugged and launched vertically into the air. Kamek got on his broom and followed Reaper. I noticed that none of my lab equipment was damaged and that Abyss had started bleeding. His blood had turned the water A murky Purple-Black color. I scrambled for more paper as I heard the restraints open and return back to where they came from. I looked around the glass cylinder for the filter switch. I now knew the reason that I had put that switch on there.

_It was because of the needles piercing the skin that had caused the water to change color._

I told myself as I flicked the Black filtration switch. The water started to bubble at the top and the openings in the top started to spew new water as the other two holes sucked the murky water out of the cylinder. As the water changed, I turned back to the table. I walked to the nearest chair and flopped down on it. I wrote my new findings quickly to make sure that everything went smoothly.

_or about as smoothly as this could go._

I told myself with a sigh. I turned back to the cylinder to see that the water was clear. Abyss was now suspended by the Black hoses that held him in place. The hoses writhed in the water, causing it seem that Abyss had six arms. I laughed to myself from the thought. Suddenly nervous, I sprang from the chair to run to the cylinder. I had no idea why, but for some reason I felt that something was off. I looked around the room to see that nothing was new.

_But why is it that I feel like there's someone in the room with me? Why do I feel like I'm not alone?_

I asked myself as I looked around the lab.

"That's a good question to be asking right about now isn't it?"

A familiar voice said. I smiled to myself. I turned around to see Venom standing in front of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S.. he tapped on the tempered and bulletproof glass. I've never seen something like this before. A ray of Purple light shot through the room. I rubbed my eyes to make sure that I had not hallucinated. I ran over to Venom and grabbed him by his shoulders. I noticed that his muscle mass had gone up and that he had an eyepatch over his left eye. Venom did not move or strain against my grasp, which was odd. I lifted the eyepatch to see that there was an absence of anything in that eye socket. Venom struggled out of my grasp to look at Abyss. He put his left hand on the glass and sighed. His head dropped to look at the floor.

"Soon we'll be able to live as a family, right?"

He asked the room quietly. He looked back at me with fearful eyes.

"That day is not just a dream in my own head right?"

He asked again. Another ray went through the room. He looked back up at Abyss who was writhing in pain. Venom knew that Abyss was his brother and that he would do anything to protect him.

_But why is he playing both sides of the game?_

I asked myself as I walked over to Venom and gave him an awkward hug. I stepped back again with a serious look on my face.

"No one is going to know about this, right?"

I asked him with full sincerity. He shook his head and ran past me to scale the steps . He stopped at the first step and looked over his shoulder to look at me.

"Just make me one promise OK?"

He said. I laughed and looked at him once more.

"I can't promise anything, but i'll make sure that I don't kill him."

I murmured, causing Venom smile. He turned around to go back up the steps. I turned back to the machine with Abyss still writhing in pain. I looked back up at the monitors. His heart rate was a little high, but everything else seemed to be just fine. The left monitor changed to show Abyss's skeletal structure. I could see numerous cracks in most of his bones. As I studied the bones, I felt a cold breeze on my left shoulder. I looked over my shoulder to see a faint outline of what looked like Abyss.

_That's impossible._

I told myself. I shook my head and looked back to the machine.

"What are you doing to my host body?"

A voice asked me. I looked over my shoulder to see if the outline was still there, but it wasn't. I whipped around to see if the outline within my field of vision. I frantically searched for an answer while monitoring Abyss's health. I turned to look back at the machine and I saw the outline again. I walked slowly towards the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. As I walked towards the machine, the outline continued to become more solid and darker in color.

_Whatever this thing is, was or is going to be, I don't want to mess with. Whatever this thing is, it's clearly not meant to be here._

I told myself as the outline had materialized completely. I was astounded by how this figure resembled Abyss so much. In my opinion, he was an exact carbon copy of him...except for a few details. He still had Abyss's body composition, but this new Abyss had much more muscle mass, a smaller nose, long and sharp jagged teeth, spikes that lined his back to the tip of his tail and Black eyes with Red pupils.

"Need I ask again _King _Bowser?"

He asked me. I started to twitch uncontrollably. His voice was unbelievably deep. This didn't help the fact that I was most likely staring at the figure of the evil that was kept in the Anti-Matter-Core. I cleared my throat and tried to look just at John's back.

"I-I-I'm m-m-aking adjustments to your host body John."

I stammered in complete fear. I was almost never afraid of anything, but I knew this figure held immeasurable power. John tapped on the glass, which caused the glass to crack a little. My breath caught in my throat as he tapped some more. John looked at the monitor that had Abyss's skeletal structure displayed on it. John turned to me.

"You're putting an additive in Abyss's bones?"

He asked me. I nodded slightly. I had no idea why I was taking so many precautions with John, but I valued my life over having control over everything.

"I'm putting a combination of Titanium and something called New Magnesium into his bones".

I said while brushing dust off of my shoulders. I focused on John as he started to shake his head. He looked back at me and smiled.

"I just love how you value science over everything."

He sneered.

"I thought you were the big, bad villain who held amazing power."

He shook his head again. Both of us looked in time to see the machine start to infuse the air that was being pumped into Abyss's bloodstream along with the metal mixtures. The metals moved slowly through the tubes, creating steam from them being superheated. I could see Abyss tense up as the metals traveled through the needles.

"Start the next step."

John commanded. I could tell that he was transfixed to the machine, even if he was not interested in them much. I went over to the machine and flipped a Green switch. I walked back to where I was standing and prepared to take more notes. The needles retracted into the red cores of the black tubes.

"Abyss is in shock you know."

John told me. I threw the clipboard down to the floor in anger.

"He can take it."

I said seething with anger. John cracked his knuckles which made me shiver.

"You do realize that if you kill my host body, I can take yours right?"

He said softly. I nodded and watched the cores produce a circular stainless steel micro saws. These saws started to get up to speed and vibrate at a supersonic speed. The saws entered the holes the needles made and started to cut where the next needles were supposed to go. The saws made their cuts and they retracted into the red cores. The needles appeared once more and they inserted themselves into Abyss's bone marrows. The remaining metals in the tubes were injected into the bone marrows of Abyss.

"It is done."

I announced. John turned to me and started walking towards something. He stopped to the immediate left of where I was standing and looked into the darkest corner of the room. His eyes flashed a dark Purple-Black color.

"Who's in the room with us?"

He asked tensely. I shrugged.

"If It is who I think it is in here, I'm going to have to hurt you."

John seethed.

"That's no way to treat someone who is higher in stature that you are."

Another familiar voice stated. The figure walked from the corner of the room.

"Turn off all the lights."

It commanded. I ran to the table and turned off all the lights. I then walked to the G.E.N.E.S.I.S and switched off that LED's that ringed the top and bottom of the machine. Since I couldn't find my way through the dark, I stayed next to the machine. Slowly, the figure came into view. Two black holes that had a white speck was all that I could see. The specks left light trails as the figure stopped next to John.

"You're the one that uses science to aid him right?"

The figure said. The voice was quiet and raspy. Chills went all over my body as the figure came towards me.

"It's been a long time since I've interacted with something living".

the figure breathed. I jumped as the thing ran its fingers along my scales.

"Do you know why I'm living in the shadows?"

The figure asked me. I managed to shake my head no despite my state of complete fear.

The figure snapped its fingers and a small flame illuminated the creature's face. The creature possessed no eyes, but had a mask that had eye sockets the size of a tennis ball. The mask had the shape of a human face as well. There were black and purple lines that went directly down from the eyes of this individual. There was a gaping mouth that was ringed with two rows of insanely sharp and jagged teeth. There was also a putrid and rotten smell that emanated from this creature. These features flickered in the Orange light that this creature was creating somehow. A gust of wind traveled through the room, putting out the flame and bringing the room back into darkness. The eyes were once again all that I saw.

"The public despises me and fears me."

The figure laughed a deep and menacing maniacal laugh that struck even more fear into me. I started to shake. All of the highest powers that I knew of were here in my midst. I knew there had to be a reason for this, but I had no idea how I had not had a heart attack yet.

"You may turn the lights back on."

The figure said. I shook my head and cleared my throat as the lights came on.

"May I know your name so I can refer to you?"

I asked fearfully. The figure's eye color changed from White to a deep Red.

"I am the nightmare that haunts your dreams. You'll know when you are dealing with me."

The figure said as the Red pinpoints of light disintegrated into the pitch Black of the room. A snapping sound went through the area that made me jump a little in terror. I could see fire licking the edges of my mouth as all the lights went back on in the "Cemetery". John was looking at Abyss, who was still squirming lightly against the Black hoses that held him in place.

"It is done"

John stated as the Black hoses unclamped themselves from Abyss's body. The bottom of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. opened slightly to let the water out. When all the water was gone, the floor returned to its original shape and the doors opened. Abyss fell to the ground. John turned to look at me.

"I can feel all of the adjustments that you've made. For a sentient creature, you're pretty bright."

Abyss said as he vaporized into A Black and Purple mist. I followed the mist as the mist floated through the room and into Abyss's nostrils. Abyss groaned and stood up. He rubbed the back of his head and he groggily opened his eyes. I could tell that my experiment was a success by the way Abyss's irises glowed. They were a rich and dark Purple that reminded me of Venom's scales. Abyss shook his head vigorously as if he was clearing his head of something. I watched Abyss's eyes carefully as an Orange ring started to materialize around his Purple irises.

"How do you feel Lord John?"

I asked him as he stretched out his limbs. I could hear bones cracking as John set all of Abyss's bones. I could tell that Abyss had felt the changes as well due to the fact that John was already pacing. I had no idea how both John and Abyss could control the same body, but I didn't pay much attention to it. I wanted to see how powerful the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. had made Abyss. John opened and closed Abyss's hands and flexed his muscles. John closed Abyss's eyes and looked at the floor.

"Congratulations on creating the most powerful being in the world Bowser."

He said quietly as he looked back at me with A huge and crazy smile. He coiled up and launched from the floor, leaving a small crater and a small shockwave as he left the ground. My papers scattered in every direction and some of the lights in the room shattered from the launch. Dust and dirt flew all around the room, giving the room an actual feel of a cemetery. I coughed as I inhaled the smell of the room. Somehow, the smell of sulfur had entered room when John had launched from his place. I searched through the haze of the room to figure out where the smell was coming from. As I searched, I heard footsteps coming from the stairs. I looked up from my search to see a shadow walking down the stairs. Looking past the shadow, I saw that the walls were covered in scratches and that the tile floor above me had been destroyed. All three levels of my castle were blown through and I could see the afternoon sun shining from the holes that John had made. I went back to the table and flopped in the chair.

"Would you call that a failure or a success?"

Reaper asked me. I turned to see Reaper holding a very badly beaten yoshi. The individual's color was yellow, but the color was stained by bruises and numerous cuts and scrapes that were amplified by the rivers of blood that ran from the cuts. Reaper threw the yoshi at my feet and I smiled. Reaper walked over to the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. and stood in front of it. Steam rose from the various pipes that led into and from the machine. Reaper stomped his foot, leaving a couple of cracks in the ground that led to the bottom of the machine.

"You…"

He said through clenched teeth as he turned to look at me.

"You let that...that dumb scaly lizard use that machine instead of me!"

He yelled as he stabbed his finger at me.

"I should have been the first one to use it! I literally delivered the enemy's best scientist into your hands!"

Reaper was practically screaming now. He drew his swords off of his back and stabbed them into the ground right in front of my feet.

"What do I need to do to have you acknowledge my presence and power!?"

He finished loudly. He was taking short rapid breaths as he glared at me. He then looked at the Yellow yoshi on the ground that was sobbing. Reaper kicked the yoshi in the ribs. The yoshi cried out in pain and sobbed some more. Reaper turned back to the machine and sighed.

"And this is the thanks that I get?"

He said quietly. Reaper took his swords out of the ground and started walking up the stairs to leave me with the yellow yoshi.

"Well, well, well; who do we have here?"

I asked with a huge and sinister smile as I walked around the yellow yoshi. I bent down to be at eye level with the individual as this one was on the floor. I used a single claw to lift the individual's head to my level. This individual had Green eyes that complimented its long eyelashes. The individual had one black eye and swollen cheeks on both sides of this individual's face.

"Won't you be so kind as to tell me your name?"

I asked, taking my claw from the individual's head. I gently set the individual's head back on the floor. The yoshi sobbed some more and tried to get up, but ended up doing nothing but sobbing some more.

"Stop fighting yourself; you'll only break more of your tendons and bones."

I started. The yoshi stopped sobbing and rolled over to look at me.

"I thought that you only knew how to put brute force on top of brute force."

The yoshi said with a gurgling laugh. I looked up from gathering my papers from the floor.

"I'm known for that, but I do have a lot more than just that."

I said with a short laugh. The yellow yoshi tried to sit up. I started to walk towards the individual, but every step I took to get closer to the individual, the individual scrabbled across the floor to put more distance between us.

"What information do you want from me?"

The yellow yoshi asked me with a wince. I could see more tears falling down the side of the individual's face. I stomped on the floor in frustration, causing the table, some chairs, lab equipment and the ground shake violently.

"I want the following: your name, the names of your friends, all the names that are in your island chain, what Emperor is weak to, where Halcyon is and where your most valuable treasures are."

I said through clenched fangs. The yellow yoshi was backed into a corner now. The individual looked frantically for a way to escape, but could not find a way out.

"You're trapped here. Now, there's only two options: One is cooperating with me so that you can live, and option Two is not cooperating with me and that will result in a slow and painful death."

I stated as I folded my arms. The yellow yoshi started to whimper and shrink into the corner.

"My name is Lemon."

The yellow yoshi said between sobs.

_Definitely seems like a fitting name for something I could step on._

I thought to myself as she continued to shrink into the corner.

"The names of our islands are divided into districts, with each one performing a specific task that helps our economy."

She started.

"What are the names of these islands?"

I asked with frustration. Lemon shook her head softly.

"I only know three of the five if that's ok with you."

She said looking up at me with Red, irritated eyes. She had been crying so much that her eyes were now somewhat bloodshot.

"The first island is the biggest one. We call that island the Administrative District. Here, our elected officials make the decisions that will affect the rest of individuals that we head."

Lemon said through more sobs. I had gotten a clipboard and paper while Lemon had started to speak. I wanted to make sure that I got all the information I could get.

"What's the next one?"

I asked quickly. Lemon looked at the ground.

"That's where I'm supposed to be right now, but it's called the Scientific District. There, it's my job to figure out anything that I can in any way, shape or form to further our kind. Emperor…"

Her voice trailed off. I was curious now.

_Had the Devil Gene finally take him over?_

I asked myself as Lemon sat up against the wall. she sighed.

"Anyways, the third and last island that I know of is the Agricultural District. It is there that we grow crops for consumption and a specialized form of fruit that cannot be eaten."

She finished. I scrawled these notes down on the paper I had taken the other notes on. When I was finished, I had to ask a question.

"What makes the edible fruit different than the inedible fruit?"

I asked her as I put the clipboard on the ground. I had taken all the valuable notes that I needed, but I needed head knowledge now. Lemon sighed and blood started to seep from her nose.

"The edible fruit is normal fruit that you can take off of a tree. The inedible Currency Fruit as we call it, has a significant amount of a substance called Ricin."

My breath caught in my throat when I heard that name. I paced around anxiously.

"You have the Castor Oil plant on your island chain? Most specifically Ricinus Communis?"

I asked in disbelief as I paced. I looked up from the floor to see that Lemon was smiling at me.

"I am the only one that has access to them. I made them in my lab under the supervision of Halcyon."

She said with a little laugh.

"Apparently the old set of bones is more intelligent than I thought!"

She finished as she sighed again and let blood run from her nose. I stopped pacing and stared Lemon down.

"What about your friends names?"

I asked as Lemon's eyes started to close. She took a deep breath and coughed blood onto the floor from a coughing fit that lasted eight seconds. She wiped her hand across her mouth to get the blood off. She looked up at me with a sad smile.

"I know you want to kill them all, but if I tell you their names, what pleasure would you get from killing them?"

She asked me. I started pacing again.

_She's smart by reasoning with me._

I told myself. I paced faster.

_but if I let reason take me over, how much would I let her get away with?_

I asked myself as I found myself in front of the G.E.N.E.S.I.S.. I heard scrabbling sounds from the room. I turned to see Lemon frantically trying to get up the stairs. I sighed and casually walked over to where Lemon was. I bent down to pick her up by her tail. She yelped in fear when I grabbed her tail. She frantically tried to get out of my grasp, but her efforts were futile.

"None of your limbs are long enough to reach the floor and you're too high off of the ground to get out of my grasp."

I said with a sneer.

"Now I want the rest of the information that I asked for."

I told her as she dangled from my grasp. She tried struggling some more and finally stopped.

" Halcyon resides in the CourtHouse that's in the Administrative District, Emperor has no known weakness yet, the most valuable treasures we've gotten were from the 5th island that I currently don't know the name of, and their names are Rojo, Venom, Lime, Rose, Mercury, Marine, and NightShade."

She ranted. After her rant, she took a deep breath.

"Thank you for your time, I'm so happy that you would help a friend such as me."

I said with a laugh as I dropped Lemon onto the floor. I walked over to the table that held all of my papers and grabbed a mushroom off of the table and turned back to walk to Lemon, but she wasn't there. I started to shake with anger. I heard a low growl resound in my throat. I stomped my foot on the ground and clenched my hands into fists. I let out a long and terrible roar that shook everything around me. A jet of fire erupted from my mouth that burned through the floors that Abyss had broken through. I felt sleep trying to take me from reality. It was then I noticed that I had black and wavy rings that lined the edges of my vision. I started to walk up the stairs that led to the second level of the castle. I only got halfway up before sleep claimed me.


	12. Chapter 11 (Formidable Force)

Chapter 11 Formidable Force

John's P.O.V

The power was overwhelming. My bone density had gone up and my muscle mass had increased by an incalculable amount. I could feel magic energy coursing through my veins as well. I was flying through the air on wings that I felt could never get tired. I blew through the floors of the castle feeling no pain whatsoever. I flew through the air and made a loop to land on the top of the castle. My vision had improved as well. I could see individual bugs on trees that were miles away. My hearing was acute as well. I could hear the breaths of everything around me. My lungs drew in huge amounts of air and I exhaled gusts of air that stirred the dirt around me. I unfurled my wings to look at them. The last time that I had looked at my wings, they seemed to be composed of feathers, but this time, a thin membrane of skin covered the space between the bones the bulged against the wings I now possessed. These wings were joined to my shoulders with powerful-looking muscles and a socket for the wingbone to attach to. I looked at my hands, which now possessed longer fingers and claws. I could tell that they were dextrous from before by the way that they shook slightly. I now also noticed that I was wearing steel gauntlets for some reason. I felt that all I was composed of was liquid motion. I was the most powerful thing in the world, and no one could win against me. I looked into the distance. I could see the pitiful island chain that Emperor called his home. I no longer needed any form of transportation to get anywhere since I was transportation in its finest form. I heard footsteps pounding against the cinder blocks somewhere near me. I turned my gaze from the island chain to see Reaper reach the top of the stairs. He was breathing heavily and I could see from the vision I now possessed that he was tired. He took some deep breaths and stood back up straight. He drew both of his swords off of his back and pointed the right one at me.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to me."

He seethed. I laughed and turned towards him. I returned my wings so they they rested along my back. I could tell that he was scared, but he didn't want to show it. I snapped my fingers and my scythe materialized in my right hand. Reaper took a fighting stance and I just stood where I was. I casually folded my arms while my scythe attached itself to my back.

"You won't win Reaper."

I stated flatly. Reaper's breath caught in his throat as I said this. He shook his head and his grip tightened on the hilts of his swords.

"I would like to test that theory."

He stated flatly as he lunged from his stance. He ran with the swords scraping across the ground. The tips of the swords generated sparks as they were dragged across the ground. Reaper slashed at me and I casually moved out of the way. Reaper barreled past me and stumbled. I shook my head in mock pity.

"Why do you insist on fighting a battle you cannot win?"

I asked as he resetted himself and kept slashing with both of his swords. Every time he swung the swords, I dodged the attack and kept waiting for Reaper to tire himself out. Reaper threw one of the swords into the air.

"Metal Rain!"

He shouted. I looked up briefly to see the sword glow a Purple color and start to make slashes in the air. The sword made half-circles of energy that started to fly towards me. I stopped moving and smiled to myself. Reaper started to laugh.

"Had enough yet Abyss?"

He asked me as the energy destroyed the ground all around me. Dust and cinder block shards flew everywhere. I saw Reaper shield himself with his remaining sword as the energy impacted me. What Reaper did not know was that the energy passed right through my body. I felt no pain, but Instead, I felt stronger. There was no ground beneath me, but somehow I was floating. I could see Reaper through the smoke, but he couldn't see me. My eyes illuminated the dust and smoke around me. Reaper waved his hands around him to clear the smoke that was enveloping him. I unfurled my wings and launched into the air above the smoke. From the corners of my eyes, I saw a White ball of light form in my right hand and a Dark Purple ball of light appear in my left hand. They grew larger as the smoke resided below me. Involuntarily, I smashed my hands together and I raised both of my hands to the sky. Black clouds appeared above me and a Red lightning bolt streaked from the clouds above me and impacted my body. I felt the jolt of electricity course through my body. I saw Red and Orange chains of lightning crackle all over my body. I opened my mouth and a multicolored stream of fire erupted from my mouth. Reaper looked up from the ground to see the fire engulf all of the area around him in flames. I could see his expression from where I was standing. I let myself drop through the air and as I was about to hit the ground, I snapped my wings open and caught the tailwind that the storm I was creating. I made a loop in the air above Reaper and impacted the ground hard. One side of the castle crumbled, leaving only half the space that there was only a half-day ago. Reaper searched for a way out of his predicament as multicolored flames crackled and started to lick the edges of Reaper. He stared at me though the flames and his body wavered in the heat of the fire. He looked behind where he was standing and his eyes widened in horror. He sheathed his swords and looked back again.

"You're not really going to kill me...right?"

He asked. I laughed and took my scythe off of my back. The Sapphire blade glowed a soft Blue.

"Do you think that I'm going to spare you?"

I said with a sinister smile. I raised the scythe into the air and slammed the tip of the blade into the ground in front of me. A crack ran along the ground that separated Reaper and I. Reaper tried to find another way over the fire. The fire had consumed almost all of the rubble that he was standing on. He sighed heavily.

"You would, wouldn't you?"

Reaper asked quietly. A grin crawled over my face as I put the scythe on my back. I stretched casually and snapped my wings open. My hands started to glow with power. They sparkled a Purple color and I had the sudden urge to destroy everything in my midst...and that's just what I did.

"I most certainly would!"

I saw the lightning chains course along my body as I launched into the air. As I launched, I could see Reaper draw his swords. When I had gained enough altitude, I stopped and levitated in place. I raised my right hand over my head and a Purple-Black pulsating orb appeared in my hand that grew larger with every passing second. I could feel the pull of the Devil Gene as I hurled the quivering orb at the remaining rubble of the castle. As soon as the orb left my hand, the orb grew to an immense size. The orb continued pulsating and seemed to be electrically charged by the way chains of electricity crawled all around it. I saw Reaper was ready for the attack, and when the orb was about to hit him, he used the swords to vault over the orb and the ground exploded behind Reaper. I could not hold back the destruction that I wanted to see. I materialized more of these orbs in my hands and kept hurling them at Reaper until there was 2x2 square of rubble left from the topmost part of the castle. I landed right across from Reaper, who was breathing heavily. I could see that his swords were Red with heat and that they were melting. Reaper shook his head.

"Why do you want everything under your control?"

He asked me as he took his mask off. He shook his head and beads of sweat flew everywhere. I folded my arms as the chains of lightning appeared once more. I felt the Devil Gene as it started to move my limbs. The symbol sparked and glowed and deep Purple-Black color. Reaper was too slow to react to the movement that was not mine. With unworldly speed, I had launched from my place and had unfurled my wings and had grabbed Reaper by the neck. We both fell through the air, and as we did, Reaper just stared at me.

"Just remember that your actions will have outcomes that you may not like."

He said quietly as I flipped myself over in the air and crushed Reaper into the ground. A loud crunch went through the area as we impacted the ground. The ground shook and shards of rock and rubble flew everywhere from the landing. Dust flew around us from the impact. Through the dust, I could see that Reaper's shell was caved into his chest. I knew that all of his bones were broken and that there was no chance of him being able to be rebuilt. My shoulder twitched uncontrollably as I reached for Reaper's body. As I did that, I could feel his magic energy make my hand go numb. I saw his organs through the cracked area of his shell as I lifted his body off the ground by his neck. I could feel a very light pulse from Reaper as I held him up.

"You're going to make a very nice addition to my powers Reaper."

I declared as I tightened my grip around his neck. Reaper tried to struggle against my hold, but was unable to. I felt Reaper go limp and saw his body color change as a wavering patch of air started to form around my hand. I started to wince and shudder as the magic energy that Reaper had flew through my hand and into my body. As the magic energy was taken from Reaper's body, he started to lose the black coloring that he possessed. His red eyes slowly started to fade and become empty eye sockets. His black shell started to lose its Black color and turn back to a Red color. After all of these changes took place, the body started to wither into dust. Reaper's body started to disintegrate from his feet. From the remaining life he had left, he was able to move his head slightly to see that he was disintegrating. Somehow, Reaper was able to muster a quiet sigh. His body went limp again as his head was the only thing that was left. I dropped the head on the ground unceremoniously as I started to walk away from the destroyed remains of the castle's highest parts.

_You're not done with him yet. There's one more thing that you need to do._

A voice sounded in my head as I walked from the rubble. I stopped when I heard the voice in my head. I turned look back at the head of Reaper that was on top of the rubble that I was looking at. I walked back to Reaper's head and looked at it.

"It's such a pity that you had to challenge me."

I said with mock sadness. I lifted my boot so that my foot was over Reaper's head.

"So tell me now; was it worth the suffering to challenge me?"

I asked as I crushed Reaper's head into the ground. A sickening crunch went through the area as I brought my foot down on his head. I lifted my foot to see that there was nothing but dust under my foot. I laughed to myself as I walked away from the rubble once more. I started to laugh uncontrollably as I walked. Through the laughter I could hear and see that the Devil Symbol that was on my shoulder was sparking. The symbol glowed a dark Purple color and my vision went completely white for a moment. I rose into the air and a faint white circle appeared around me. My wings unfurled around curled around my body. My fangs grew longer and I noticed that I had gauntlets over my hands. More muscle started growing under my scales as I lifted my head to the sky. The gauntlets snapped from the amount of muscle I was gaining and I let out a long howl as my eyes glowed white. The howl turned to a roar as I snapped my wings to their fullest length. Right after my wings extended to their fullest, the circle disappeared and a Black shockwave destroyed everything around me. I watched the shock wave cut through the bricks and the trees that were all around me. I was breathing heavily now. I looked all around me at destruction. I now knew what it was like to have immense and incontestable power. I launched into the air with my new power. I did not have to flap my wings much because of the tailwind that the storm was giving me. My body glowed a faint Purple color as I flew along in the shadow of the storm. I looked at the sea that separated Bowser's castle from the United Islands Archipelago. I watched the chains of Black lightning streak from the clouds and into the sea. Not wanting to be struck by those chains, I angled my wings upwards so that I could gain altitude. As I rose higher, the temperature became colder and the air was lighter. I had noticed that frost was appearing on my scales from how high up I was. I flew through the clouds. A normal individual would not have been able to see through these clouds, but I was not normal. I was now above the clouds. Looking off to my left and right was an expanse of clouds that were lit by the sun. The clouds reflected the light of the sun that beat down on them. I soared for a while trying to find where the Administrative District was. I looked through the clouds constantly, but was unable to find the place I was looking for. I angled my wings down. As soon as I did that, I was yanked from my even pace. I plummeted through the air. I tried to regain my balance, but I was unable to. I saw land rushing up to me. Once again, I tried to regain my control, but I couldn't. I closed my eyes as I impacted the ground. I awoke to the sounds of pickaxes all around me.I groggily opened my eyes and the laser sharp focus of them gave me a headache as they took in the view around me. The storm had passed and the light of the morning sun was shining down on me. I stood up and brushed the shards of rock off my arms and shoulders. I looked around me. I could see Brown and Light Blue yoshis cutting and mining into the rock all around me. I was in a very mountainous area that had jagged boulders and little wavy grass that moved slightly in the breeze. I tried to walk, but every step that I took was shaky and unbalanced. I walked up the side of the crater that I had made when I impacted the ground. I pulled myself over the edge of the crater. I tested my arms and legs to make sure that they still worked. I set my bones with a loud crack that went through the area. All the clinking sounds stopped and I could feel everyone in the area shift their eyes to look at me. I looked at the ground with a smile.

"Staring is rude you know."

I said without looking up. I heard sounds of footsteps coming from behind me.

"And who might you be? I hope that the mirror that you looked in the morning didn't break from how ugly you are!"

A voice mocked me. Laughter resounded all around me as I turned to see a very out of shape and lazy looking individual of my species chewing a tweed leaf.

"Nice one NightShade!"

Someone said as he spit the ball of tweed at my feet. The individual scuffed his boot on the ground and dust rose from the terrain.

"I don't think that i've seen you before. Are you new here?"

NightShade asked me.

_So this is the one that they call NightShade._

I growled to myself. I had enough of this individual already. With lightning speed, I grabbed NightShade. I threw him over my head and jumped into the air. I smiled to myself as I saw his scared face for the brief moment that came before I threw him back to the ground. NightShade fell through the air and impacted the ground. I glided through the air and landed next to him. I looked around the area once more to see that all of the yoshis that were here, were now gone. I leaned over so that I was face to face with Nightshade. I could tell that some of his bones were broken by the ways that some of his limbs were bent. NightShade groaned and locked his eyes on me.

"There is no one in this world that can challenge my power, let alone you. You're too weak and overweight to know anything about fighting."

I seethed. I spat in his face and turned to walk off, but the voice in my head started to speak once again.

_There's so much more that you could do to torture him. Let him know that he is the very bottom of the barrel; scum of the land._

The voice said to me. I looked back to see NightShade struggling to get up. He was sitting against the back of a boulder and breathing heavily. I walked slowly back to NightShade and stood in front of him. He looked up fearfully at me. His expression changed from fear to anger.

"If you want to kill me, just do it. A lot of individuals want to do that already."

He said quietly. I leaned over and picked him by his neck. NightShade did not squirm or protest against my grasp, which was odd. He just looked at me with a blank expression that made me think of Reaper.

"You're not going to get very far; someone will eventually find out that you are here and they will take you out."

He said with A laugh. I growled and dragged NightShade over to the edge of A cliff that was near me. I extended my arm and held NightShade over the edge of the cliff. He looked down to see that there were jagged rock points that stuck up from the pooling water under NightShade's feet. I could see his breathing becoming slower and that he was losing blood flow to his head. I could sense the pins and needles sensation that came with the numbness of blood loss to parts of the body. I shook NightShade a little so that he could get a sense of where he was at.

"I highly doubt that you can fly NightShade."

I said with A little smile. NightShade focused his eyes on mine.

"And I sincerely think that no one, even if they cared for you, would save you."

I said maliciously as I started to let go of him. Sounds of scrabbling sounded from behind me as I stopped talking. I turned my head from NightShade to see Emperor running up the path that led to the mining area that NightShade and I were currently in. I turned my head back to see if my victim was still in my grasp...But NightShade was not there. I looked down at the jagged rocks that stuck out from the water like bones, but NightShade wasn't there either. I shrugged and turned to see that Emperor was standing across from me. He had the Reborn drawn, and I turned in time to see him unfurl the Reborn so that it was in the Blade Phase. I folded my arms and looked across the rocky terrain at my hated enemy.

"It seems that you've come to visit us Abyss."

Emperor stated flatly as he activated the Sacred Art Damage. A flash of purple light illuminated the area for a split second. The Reborn's eyes glowed purple and the symbol for damage glowed Black in the eyes. I could tell that Emperor was nervous. I laughed to myself.

"You weren't expecting me to return so soon?"

I replied as I materialized DeathBringers. Emperor's gaze shifted from looking at me, to the dozens of DeathBringers that orbited around me. Emperor's grip tightened around the Reborn and he turned to see if anyone else was around. Seeing no one, he materialized his own DeathBringers.

"You're going to challenge me?"

I laughed as I felt the changes in my own weapons. Emperor looked at my own DeathBringers that had Red liquid seeping from their eyes and teeth and started to shudder. I brought my hand up to the sky with the palm facing upwards.

"Any last words?"

I asked as I held my stance. The DeathBringers formed two lines of themselves with six of them in each row. Emperor sighed and put the Reborn on his back. He snapped his fingers and all of his DeathBringers went away and he looked at the ground.

"Fire!"

I shouted. As I said the command, the DeathBringers opened their mouths and A stream of pure Anti-Matter that was electrically charged exploded from their mouths. The streams barrelled towards Emperor. Emperor didn't move and the streams impacted him. I wasted no time charging my next attack. I stood sideways and prepared my favorite attack: Shadow Ball. The place where Emperor stood exploded and shards of rock and valuable mineral shards flew around the entire area, causing the air hazy and dark. Through my keen sight, I saw no trace of Emperor. Even though I didn't see him, I still kept charging my Shadow ball. I steadily felt the pressure of the Shadow Ball's energy pushing against my hands as the object grew larger and darker. A soft chiming sound went through the area as I stopped charging the Shadow ball. The object disappeared from my view and my hands glowed softly from the energy that the Shadow Ball held. I looked around in the haze to try and find Emperor.

"Looking for me?"

He asked as a very powerful Roundhouse Kick sent me reeling across the ring that we now stood on. I shook my head and I saw that I had moved from a rocky terrain, to a Plateau that was rectangular in shape and had boundary lines that were drawn in White coloring. I looked up from the ground to see Emperor shaking his foot and wincing in pain. I laughed sinisterly as I stood up. Emperor looked up from his boot and squinted at me as I stood to my full height.

"What...did they do to you?"

He asked nervously as he saw me start to bring out my blades. They cut through the spaces between my fingers and brought blood as they continued to extend themselves to their full length. I watched Emperor draw back in horror as he watched the blood seep from where the blades originated from and the blood that ran down the blades that I now possessed. Emperor drew a deep breath and got into his fighting stance. I just stood in place with my arms folded and stared at him. Emperor launched from his place and drew the Reborn. He threw the Reborn and activated the Sacred Art Damage. As the Reborn flew towards me, it flashed Purple and it pulsed that color. The symbol for damage appeared in the Reborn's eyes and the symbol was Black against the Purple glow of the magic that coursed through the weapon. Just as the Reborn was going to hit me, I sidestepped the thrown weapon and stomped on the ground. Emperor ran towards me while the Reborn circled back around in the air to return to Emperor. The Black lightning chains crawled across the ground and stopped close to where Emperor was. He paid no attention to the lightning chains and started to become very slow. Emperor looked all around him in wild fear as I slowly walked from where I was standing. I stopped in front of Emperor as he fell back slowly. I smiled and wound up my right arm to deliver a huge punch the would make made him a skewer. Just as I was about to let go of the punch, the lightning chains disappeared and Emperor ducked under my punch. He gave me A counterattack that sent be skidding back three feet. Of course I felt no pain, but Emperor winced in pain as he looked at his hand. I laughed as Emperor studied his hand. He looked at me with an intense stare.

"What do you wish to gain from the Island Chain Abyss?"

Emperor said with a strained voice. He got back into his stance and he caught the Reborn and put it on his back once more. A Purple flash went through the area that briefly illuminated everything around us with a Purple light. Emperor ran from his place and jumped into the air. I saw the blades emerging from the spaces between his fingers as he drew his arm back in the air. I stayed where I was with the same smug look on my face as Emperor plunged the blades into my chest. The blades did not harm me, instead, they went right through my body as if I was a ghost. Emperor looked quickly up at my face with A bewildered expression. Emperor tried to take his arm out of my chest, but couldn't. Taking my opportunity, I grabbed his shoulder and plunged my claws into his shoulder causing him wince in pain. I slowly raised him into the air by his shoulder. Emperor squirmed against my grasp while I walked over to the cliff that I had just dropped the miserable and puny NightShade from. I held my enemy over the over the edge of the cliff.

"What do I wish to gain from your resources?"

I asked Emperor as he fell into shock. I started to let go of Emperor.

"I wish to gain all of the power that I can so that I can take over everything. I thought I told you this before."

I said quietly as I relaxed my hold on Emperor. He fell from my grasp and I turned from the cliff to make my way to the place of my origin: the Administrative District. I started walking from the cliff face and walked right into another individual of my species. I didn't fall back and the individual that I walked into did not fall or stagger as well.

"What...have you done to them?"

The individual seethed. I casually took a few steps back and stretched absently as the individual drew his giant sword off of his back. His voice was similar to mine and his body structure was similar as well. It seemed that I was looking into a mirror by how similar we were. His deep Red scales glistened in the dying light of the twilight that was falling over the land. I looked up casually to see that clouds were rolling from the West, to our location. I heard a metallic clang that drew my attention from the sky. I narrowed my eyes at what I saw had changed. Somehow, the giant sword that this individual had changed from a giant chisel-like sword, to one that seemed to be much more regal.

"You don't need to do this Abyss."

The individual said in a soft and meaningful voice. I let the blades return from the space between my fingers as I stared this individual down.

"How do you know my name?"

I seethed as the individual put the sword on the ground ground tip first to rest on the blade's hilt.

"I know you because you know me."

The individual said with a yawn. I was astounded by how dull this individual was. Obviously this individual had no idea who I was or what I was capable of.

"If I was to remember you, that would show that I had the least bit of care about you and your status, but since I don't remember you because I don't care about you, please tell me your name so I can forget it after I kill you."

I said with a yawn. I saw the individual's grip tighten on the hilt of the sword as he stopped resting on the sword. The individual brought the sword up from the ground and pointed the tip at me.

"If you don't remember or care for me, then why waste my time?"

The individual responded with a sneer. From the corners of my eyes, I could see the Brown and Light Blue individuals starting to emerge from the surrounding rocks. As the individual brought the sword up from the ground, I could see how the sword was made. Rubies adorned the middle of the blade from the base of the sword, to the middle of the sword. I could tell the blade was made of steel and Ivory that was made very well. With my eyesight, I could pick out all of the lines that signified each fold of the metal. The base of the sword had two golden wings that extended from the base of the blade to the left and the right. They were not very long, but were intricately carved and the details were nice to say the least. The hilt of the sword was wrapped in what looked to be Red Velvet. The sword itself was not very interesting, but what was interesting was the fact that the sword held a very powerful energy that seemed to manifest itself after I looked at the line of rubies that spanned from the hilt to the middle of the sword. I shook my head.

"I have killed both NightShade and Emperor; what makes you think that you will succeed against me?"

I asked the individual as he brought the sword to a waiting battle position. The individual took a deep breath and his hold on the sword wavered for a brief moment when I spoke those words. Then the figure sighed quietly and locked eye with me. It was then that I noticed that his iris color was Red...just like his scales.

"I don't think that you killed them, or that I can win against you, but what I can say right now is that I can most certainly try."

The individual said softly. Tension hung in the air between us. I could hear the whispers of the individuals that were ringing around the space that we were on. I sighed once more and waved my hand in the air. Two DeathBringers formed on my right and left as I continued my gaze towards the sword. As I studied it further, I could not help but feel that I had remembered this particular sword from somewhere. I brought my hand down and the DeathBringers fired their shots. I followed the trails of Anti-Matter as they streaked towards the individual that held the sword diagonally across his body. I started laughing right before the streams of energy hit the individual across from me. Milliseconds before the streams hit him, his body flashed white for a second and the sword gleamed a white color and the tip of the blade flashed. I heard a collective gasp come from the individuals below me as the streams impacted him. Somehow, this individual was able to parry the streams of energy that my DeathBringers fired. The streams of energy turned into a light Blue stream that was catapulted back at me from this individual's ability to wield this weapon. He caught the energy with the sword and threw it back at me. I was not ready for this and I gasped in surprise as the energy hit me. I thought that I would be able to absorb the energy that had impacted me, but I could tell that I was unable to by the numbness that coursed over my body. It was then I realized that I was flying through the air at A high rate of speed. I watched the individuals and stage that I was fighting on become smaller at an exponential rate as I continued through the air. I was starting to lose my consciousness. I saw black rings start to eat away my vision as I fell into unconsciousness. That last thing I heard before I fell into the endless void of unconsciousness was a distant

"The name is Rojo, and don't you forget it!"

_Why is it that you want to stray from the teachings that we have given you Abyss my son?_

I heard a voice ask me. I was unable to open my eyes, so I just kept listening.

_I can tell that you want to be the heir to the throne, but your brother is going to be the heir. We've never had an individual of your color as a ruler before._

The voice said.

"Siren?"

I asked absently as vision came to my closed eyes. Somehow, I was reliving the time before I was exiled from the United Island Archipelago. But why now was I remembering this?

_Why do you keep asking for nice things when you only stab those who were helping you in the back?_

From what I could see, we were in the Royal Egg Room. from what I could tell, this was three days before the attack on the Administrative District. I could tell by the cloudless and sunny day that illuminated the room. I looked at the Gold egg with green spots that covered most of the shell.

"_What makes A Green individual of my species more capable of causing decisions than me?_"

I asked siren as she dusted off the egg. I thought it was ridiculous how much time she spent with the egg. She took at least half the morning and night with it. It was ridiculous how much she cared for it!

_Don't you care for me either!?_

I shouted angrily. Siren jumped a little and she looked up from the egg to give me a stern stare.

_I give equal care to everyone in my family. The only reason that I spend so much time with this one is because the other individual did not hatch._

Her voice trailed off as I stretched.

_I know that you are seemingly upset that I don't give you much attention anymore, but there are more important matters I need to attend to._

She said as she got up from her kneeling position from shining the egg. The eggshell glittered with the light of the sun that was rising over the tallest mountains of the Administrative District. Siren started to walk past me, but I caught her by her shoulder and I yanked her to be at eye level with me.

_You better start keeping to your words mother, otherwise…..I'll...I'll._

My voice trailed off as I saw her fierce gaze in my direction. Siren smiled sadly.

_I know that you're jealous of my new son, but that's no reason to be ridiculously rude._

She said as she shrugged off my hand to leave me in the room by myself. I had the urge to smash the egg to pieces, but I knew what would happen to me if I were to do that. The door opened and Venom and Rojo strode into the room. Rojo and Venom looked at me, then to the egg in the center of the room.

_I thought you weren't supposed to be here unsupervised_

Rojo said as he reached his hand over his shoulder to grip the hilt of his sword. Venom looked at me with an odd expression.

_What would you be doing here anyway? I thought you hated this place._

He said with a smirk. I balled my hands into fists and walked past Rojo who looked at me worriedly. I walked into Venom and brushed past him and threw open the wooden door that led into the Royal Egg chambers. It was about midday. The light blinded me, forcing me to shut my eyes as I took time to adjust to the intensity of the light. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I started running. I knew where I wanted to go. It was a place that was on the Administrative District that only the Royal Family knew of. I was taken there a lot by Siren before she decided to add another member to our family. I ran past the CourtHouse and ran for a while past the bustling town and came upon a large ridge. I looked for the river that was supposed to be at high tide. I looked past the rocky landscape for it. Clouds covered the ground below me with an ominous mist. I started to take careful and wobbly steps down the ridge. It took a while for me to reach the ground, but when I did, memories started flooding back to me. I saw through the fog, the two familiar stumps that stuck up from the ground that were right across from each other. I looked towards the line of trees that casted waving shadows from the light hitting the leafs. I walked under the trees to the leftmost stump. I brushed the sand and dirt off of the stump and sat down on it. I closed my eyes momentarily and looked across the stretch of water that was the most prominent and longest river that went through the Administrative district. This was the Lapis-Lazuli river. It was named from the almost pure water that was used in almost everything from cooking to preparing decorations. I looked from where I was sitting to find some smooth stones to throw. I found A nice patch of them not far from where I was sitting, so I got up from where I was sitting. As I rose from my seat, I heard the crunching of dry dirt clumps coming from behind me. I whipped my head around from getting the rocks to see that Rojo and Venom were walking from the same path I was. They were walking at A fast pace for some reason. I quickly gathered my stones and sat back down on the stump just as the two cleared the brush close to where I was sitting.

_What are you doing here Obsidian?_

Rojo asked between his breaths. Venom nodded in silent agreement.

_I'm just taking a mental break here. What's wrong with that?_

I asked as I skipped a stone across the river. The stone made ripples in the slow current of the river, starling some fish that had been close to the surface of the water. I heard Venom clear his throat and Rojo ball his hands into fists. I could also hear the leather of Rojo's gloves stretch as he clenched his hands.

_Why do you need to be so arrogant and Naive?_

Rojo exploded. Venom flinched and I skipped another stone across the river. Venom put his hand on Rojo's shoulder.

_Maybe it's best that you don't put any more time and effort into trying to change him._

Venom said with A heavy sigh. Rojo shrugged off Venom's hand and grabbed my shoulder just as I was about to throw my next stone. He turned me around forcibly so that I stood at his eye level. We locked eyes and Rojo spit at the ground right in front of my right boot.

_I'll make you change. Just you wait._

He seethed as he shoved me into river. Venom's breath caught in his throat as he saw me fall. I fell backwards and the wind was knocked out of me as I fell into the water. I gasped for breath, but only took in water. I flailed in the water for a few seconds and was able to stand back up in the river. I rubbed my eyes as I heard Rojo's laughter ring in my ears as I shook myself off.

_What's so funny Rojo? _

I sputtered as I walked back up the riverbank to where Rojo and Venom were. Venom stood at attention for some reason as Rojo stopped laughing.

Y_ou needed a bath anyways Obsidian_

He said sarcastically as I brushed grass and mud off of my scales.

_Was that really necessary Rojo?_

Venom asked as Rojo threw me a towel. I dried myself off with the towel. I looked back up Rojo who was suddenly deep in thought. Venom had left without A sound as well. I looked at the heavy and wet towel that was in my hands.

_This is how i'm going to get back at Rojo._

I thought to myself as I started to walk towards Rojo. He was still deep in thought, so I took the opportunity and wrapped the towel around his neck. Rojo snapped out of his thoughts and started to struggle. I swept his right leg and followed him down to the ground and tightened the grip of the towel around his neck. He started to gag and three seconds later, he passed out with a snapping sound going through the forest around me. I slowly stood up and looked at my hands. They were colored with A Red substance that had the consistency of Blood. I tried shaking my hands to get the substance off, but it would not move. Right after that moment, rustling came from the bushes beside me and A bewildered Siren stumbled out from the bushes. She ran over to Rojo and checked for a pulse. None of the substance that was on my hands was coming from Rojo. Siren looked up at me with A blank stare.

_Now you've done it. You've taken this too far Obsidian._

She said quietly. I put up my hands in protest.

_Siren, please listen_

I started, but Siren cut me off before I could get any more words out.

_You're not my son anymore. You're a killer._

She said with a detestable tone in her voice. She followed the Red rivers of the substance as they dripped off of my hands. She stood up once more and glared at me.

_Your father wanted to name you Abyss._

She said with a sigh.

_I can see why your father wanted to name you that now._

She said sadly as she started A spell. I saw a couple of tears roll down her left cheek as she did that. Air shimmered around her hands as she made A circle with them. As she made these gestures, a silver and thin line that was vertical in orientation appeared between her hands. She held a pose that seemed quite odd to me. She had the palm of her left arm faced upwards, supporting the bottom of this line and her right hand facing downwards, supporting the shimmering line that was between her palms.

_You know what this is, Right Abyss?_

She asked me as she returned to her original standing position. She grabbed the thin, shimmering line with her right hand and pointed the tip at my chest. I had no idea what this was, but it sent chills down my spine.

_I don't know what that is mother, so why do you insist on treating me this way?_

I asked as chills continued going up and down my spine. I watched Siren spin the shimmering line between her fingers as she stared me down. Her iris color changed to Red as she started to speak again.

_I know that you are better than this my son, but I am not going to accept A killer as my own son._

She said with finality as she twirled the line around her last finger and threw the line directly at my chest. I was too shocked to move.

_Invisible Nightmare!_

She said quietly as the shimmering line of air impaled me through the chest. I stood motionless and just stared at Siren, who was sulking. She picked up Rojo and draped him over her right shoulder and started to carry him off as I fell backwards into the river. As I fell into the river, my vision faded and I impacted the water with A loud splash. I felt myself slip into unconsciousness as I was slowly carried away by the river. I must've been floating a long time, because when I awoke, it was sunset and A strange person was standing over me when I opened my eyes again. Looking through the water, his features were barely distinguishable. He seemed to be severely overweight, as his midsection looked like a balloon. He had very long and thin legs that looked like they couldn't support this individual's body. His head was dominated by a large mustache that stuck out on both sides of his face. He also had large goggles that were situated right above his eyes. These features wavered in the water as I struggled to breathe. I saw bubbles come from my mouth and nose as I tried to breathe. The figure reached down into the water and grabbed me by my left shoulder and drug me out of the water. I closed my eyes as the figure drug me out of the water so that I wouldn't damage my eyes. Now that I was out of the water, I rubbed my eyes and started to cough. I coughed so hard, I threw up water and waves of numbness went all over my body.

_You look like you could use some help. What are you?_

The figure asked me. I waited for my vision to stabilize and for my body to stop aching. I then tried to sit up, but when I tried to, immense waves of pain shot through my body. The individual laughed to himself.

_Don't try to move; you have multiple broken bones._

The figure said. He had a high and gravelly voice that was annoying to my ears. He dragged me to a nearby rock and propped me up against it. I looked up at the disproportionate figure.

_Why did you save me?_

I asked the figure. The figure laughed. He scratched the back of his neck and he looked directly at me.

_Because I have an enemy that I need to take care of._

This was the last that I could remember before something hit me that knocked the wind out of me. This time, I was unconscious for real.


	13. Chapter 12 (Celebration)

Chapter 12 Celebration

NorthWind's P.O.V

I was in the King's study when I had heard of the attack. I was constantly looking out of the window that illuminated my work with the evening light of the sun. I nervously tapped my quill pen against the table while I tried to figure out how I was going to balance A magic spell that I had been working on. I looked across the room at Frostbite, who was working on something. She snapped her fingers and A candle lit up with a Blue flame on the desk that she was writing on. The light of the candle sent A blue light through the room that lit everything up in the room with a deep Blue that comforted me a little. I got out of my chair and paced nervously while Frostbite continued to work.

"Why are you pacing like that NorthWind?"

Frostbite asked me without looking up from her work. The scratching of her quill pen rang in my ears while I thought about the High Council.

"I'm just nervous."

I said quietly. I stopped pacing and looked out of the window again. I saw some figures walking up the road to the CourtHouse.

"They're back!"

I cried. Frostbite jumped and I heard the scratch of her quill pen as she dragged it all the way across the parchment that she was drawing on. Frostbite sighed angrily and stood up from her seat. I could hear her short breaths of anger as she walked towards me.

"You better not be hallucinating NorthWind."

She said quietly as she pushed me aside. She looked through the window and she started to jump with excitement.

"You're right! They are back!"

She said as we both ran out of the Study. We ran down the steps and ran down the hallway that led into the meeting rooms and quickly sat on opposite sides of the glass table to look like we had been doing nothing important. I looked excitedly at Frostbite who returned my gaze with the same excitement that I had. The door opened slowly and Captain Rojo entered the room, carrying Emperor on his right shoulder and NightShade on his left shoulder. Frostbite and I gasped in unison as Rojo laid them both on the floor. Frostbite ran to NightShade and I ran to Emperor. Rojo staggered over to the chair that was overstuffed and collapsed into it. I heard him take huge gales of air as I looked over Emperors wounds.

"Looks like Emperor has only a broken shoulder."

I announced as I looked over to Frostbite, who seemed to be in distress.

"What's wrong?"

I asked her as she continued shaking her head.

"I'm afraid that NightShade has suffered much more injuries."

She said sadly as she stood up.

I continued to kneel as I looked over Emperor again.

"What is the extent of his injuries?"

I asked Frostbite as I stood up. She started to pace and I looked at Rojo who was fast asleep in the chair. Frostbite stopped pacing and she looked at me directly in my eyes.

"He has sustained multiple bone fractures, including ones to his spinal column. He has a broken back and shattered legs."

She said quietly. She quickly looked away from me and scratched the top of her left hand. It was a nervous habit of hers that I never understood.

"So what you're saying is that...he's dead?"

I asked nervously. Frostbite started to render A spell.

"I personally fear the worst".

She said quietly as a Blue orb appeared in her right palm. The small Blue orb pulsated in her hand as she briefly looked at it for a moment before bending over and placing the orb on the floor. Frostbite looked at me.

"You might want to close your eyes for a moment Northwind; this is a stronger version of my basic teleportation spell".

She said as I looked at the Blue orb on the ground. It was about the size of a watermelon now. Frostbite shut her eyes, but I didn't close mine. The Blue orb started to collapse from the center as A bright light filled the room. I still didn't shut my eyes. I watched through the blinding light that was emanating from the middle of the orb. Suddenly, the middle of the orb gave way to A large hole that was ringed with the Blue color of the orb. Another bright flash of light went through the room and I had to shut my eyes on this flash. I saw the individual blood vessels in my eyes as the light grew and flashed with a blinding white light. The light receded and I opened my eyes. Flashing orbs danced across my vision as I studied the room. Somehow, Frostbite Rojo and I had been transported from the CourtHouse to A place that looked like a laboratory. Various amounts of bottles, beakers, flasks and other scientific things were ornately organized on white shelves that smelled very strongly of Hydrogen Peroxide. I had to blink A couple of times in order to adjust my view to the blinding lights that were overhead.

"I see that you have A couple of things for me Frostbite".

A familiar voice said. A couple of glasses clinked and Lemon appeared from behind A giant shelf filled with boxes. She put a folder of papers into one of the boxes and walked over to us.

"What happened to bring you to my place of study?"

She asked us while cleaning A beaker. She was shaking slightly for some reason.

"We brought you the injured King and…"

Frostbite's voice trailed off as she looked at the motionless of body of NightShade. Lemon looked up from cleaning the beaker and almost dropped the beaker that she was holding.

"What happened to him!?"

She cried as she bolted across the room and knelt beside NightShade. She checked all of his joints quickly and got back up and ran behind another one of the shelves.

"Where is it?"

She asked herself as she rifled through boxes. As she did this, I took the time to look around. I had never been here before, so I had no idea where we were. This was unnerving, but I found some comfort in the various intricate machines that spanned the lengths of the walls. The place was about as big as a normal house. Most of the machines looked like they were used in chemistry, but some showed wavy lines on their digital faces that made no sense to me whatsoever. In the middle of the room, there was a stainless steel table with four restraints on it. This caught my attention, so I walked over to it. My boots made loud clomping noises as I walked to the table. As soon as I reached the table, Lemon reappeared from behind the shelf carrying another file folder. She walked over to the table I was looking at and she dropped the folder. The folder fell through the air and landed on the table with A loud thud.

"In here there should be information about broken bones and torn tendons"

She murmured to herself as she rifled through the papers. She stopped at a certain page and snapped her fingers.

"This is the one!"

She announced as she took out a pair of glasses from her lab coat pocket. She skimmed over the page. When she was satisfied with what was on the page, she closed the folder and put the paper on top of the folder. She then leaned over to pull out A section of the table that extended into another short table. Lemon looked at me over her glasses.

"Bring NightShade to the table if you would be so kind".

She asked politely as she turned to walk to another table that had something I had never seen before. Besides that, there was bowls that smelled of stir-fried vegetables that were stacked precariously halfway to the ceiling on both sides of the table. I watched Lemon move some papers around. I walked back to the motionless body of NightShade. I looked across at Frostbite, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Thinking about how we're going to get NightShade onto the table?"

I joked as I looked down to the crumpled body of NightShade that was on the marble floor. When I said that, Frostbite snapped out of her thoughts and scowled at me.

"How could you be so insensitive?! He's dead for crying out loud!"

She scolded me. I put my hands up in defeat and I could feel minute strains of animosity form between us as Frostbite stared at me momentarily.

"Come on; help me pick up NightShade."

She commanded me as she bent down to get one side of NightShade. I did the same and prepared to pick him up.

"One three ok?"

Frostbite asked. I nodded in agreement.

"One...Two...Three!"

She counted as we both lifted Nightshade off the ground. Both me and Frostbite strained to keep NightShade off the marble floor as we carried him to the table. Lemon was looking at her papers when we dropped Nightshade unceremoniously onto the table. This made Lemon jump in fear and she started to hiccup.

"Don't...do..that!"

She said between the hiccups as she walked over to the table once more. She now possessed a quill pen and A clipboard.

"I don't think you'll want to be here for the Autopsy you two".

Lemon said with A creepy smile. Frostbite looked at me and I returned the same worried gaze. Lemon looked behind her and produced A small steel ball.

"What's that for?"

I asked as I watched Lemon threw the steel ball at A toolbox that was on top of an intricately designed box without looking. The box had caution tape on it and it had a digital face that had A zigzag line going across the digital face. The steel ball knocked the toolbox off of the machine and fell to the floor. Mechanical whirring noises came from the box as Frostbite and I watched the top of the toolbox open to reveal A steel beam. The steel beam was being raised by something, and while it was being raised, two circular upraised portions of the machine that was building itself started to glow. The machine made some more whirring noises and the circular portions lit up with yellow light. The machine beeped and started to rotate at A high speed.

"Just step on the middle of the device".

Lemon said absently as I heard some more papers being shuffled around. I looked worriedly back at Lemon, who was taking notes on the clipboard that she was holding. I walked over to Lemon and tapped her on her shoulder. She finished what she was writing and looked crossly at me.

"What information do you require at this moment NorthWind?"

She asked me as I fidgeted with my hands. Frostbite walked from wherever she was, to be standing next to me.

"What's the matter with you Lemon?"

Frostbite asked with the same tone of voice that Lemon used. Lemon looked at Frostbite for A moment and sighed.

"I just have a lot of work to do yet."

She said quietly. Then Lemon crossed her arms.

"Don't you two have to be at an event that starts in-"

Lemon looked at a device that was on her left wrist.

"About A quarter of a day?"

She asked the two of us. I heard Frostbite snap her fingers.

"That's right!"

She exclaimed. I looked at Frostbite momentarily as she grabbed my arm and practically dragged me to the device that glowed with A yellow light. Frostbite stopped before the machine and looked me in my eyes.

"Look, I know you don't trust Doctor Lemon's fancy machines, but we have no idea where we are, or how to get out of this place, but I do know that we need to get back to the CourtHouse."

She said quickly while stepping on the machine. I watched Frostbite slowly disappear from my view as whatever this machine was do whatever it was supposed to do. I looked back at Lemon, who was cleaning NightShade for some reason. She was using some kind of peroxide that was in a beaker. Rojo was standing close to her, but I don't think that Lemon knew that Rojo was there. He had A huge smile on his face. I was about to tell Lemon that Rojo was there, but before I could open my mouth Rojo spoke.

"Whatcha-"

Rojo started. Lemon yelped and dropped the beaker that she was holding. The beaker fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. Lemon growled and turned around to see Rojo laughing hysterically. Lemon scoffed and punched his left shoulder. Rojo stopped laughing and looked down at Lemon.

"Do you think it would be hysterical if I immersed you in Carborane Acid?"

She asked Rojo. Rojo scratched the back of his neck and shrugged.

"I have no idea what that is".

Rojo said with A smile as he walked away from Lemon. She growled and walked back to her desk with the device on it and started to work on something. Rojo walked up to me and smiled.

"Lemon is hilarious when she's upset don't you think?"

He asked me as he walked onto the spinning device. I saw him vanish and then it was just me and Lemon in the room. I looked nervously back at Lemon, who was looking at me with a curious stare.

"Why don't you want to use that teleporter NorthWind?"

She asked me as she got up from her chair. She walked back to the table that NightShade was on. Lemon scribbled some more notes and set the clipboard back on the table's protrusion.

"All the others have used the teleporter, why don't want to use it?"

Lemon asked again. I sighed.

"I don't want to use it because I don't like machines!"

I shouted. Lemon flinched and started to take in sharp and short breaths.

"I can assure you that the machine works perfectly fine".

Lemon said with annoyance. Lemon walked from the table to the chair. She sighed and looked across the room at Emperor, who was looking at something. It looked like metal mushroom that had wires coiled all around it. There was a small circular part of the machine that had glass. Lemon chuckled to herself.

"You certainly seem to be taking great interest in my hypothetical Time Machine".

She called to Emperor. Emperor scratched his neck and turned to look at Lemon.

"A Time Machine?"

He asked as he gazed at something that was on the opposite wall. Lemon nodded and got up from her chair.

"You two need to get A move on now".

She declared as she dragged Emperor away from the machine. She dragged him across the room and stood him next to me. Lemon looked at me, then at Emperor.

"Good luck on the ceremony".

She said softly as she hugged Emperor, and then me. I followed Emperor as he made his way to the Teleporter. He walked onto the teleporter and I watched him dissipate as the Teleporter transported him to wherever the destination that his machine had determined. I was pushed onto the machine by Lemon. I tried to fight back, but it was too late. My vision went white and I felt the sensation of being weightless for a mere moment. I saw nothing, but I felt weightless. When my vision returned, I shook my head vigorously to get my vision to clear and the lights that were dancing across my eyes away. When my vision returned, I noticed that I was in the same room that I was in before this whole event played out. I looked around the room to see if anyone was in the room with me. I could hear cheering coming from somewhere close. The door burst open and an exasperated and weary Rojo staggered into the room. He looked around the room wildly as if he was searching for something important. His gaze settled on me and he shook his head slightly.

"Where were you?"

He asked me quietly. Rojo gazed at the floor and continued taking in huge gales of air. I shifted nervously as Rojo looked back up at me.

"If you have nothing to say, we have to go. The ceremony starts soon!"

He huffed. I got ready to run. I knew that Rojo was going to run because I saw him tense up as he held the door open for me. He closed the door behind me and I looked into the starry sky. The moon glowed a soft Blue color. I could see the halo of the soft grey aura that wavered around it. Rojo brushed past me and he took off running. I stretched and took of running as well. It did not take long to reach where we were supposed to be. While we ran to the location, the the voices became louder. We stopped close to the edge of the Administrative District. I was out of breath when we had stopped. I saw all of the individuals that inhabited this district were lighting what seemed like loose lampshades. They set them on the water when an individual had lit the candle that was in the center of the object, they would walk away from the edge of the water. Rojo walked past me and pushed through the crowd. While I contemplated what he was doing, cold metal was pressed against the back of my neck. I tensed up and waited for the worst, but nothing happened.

"Don't move"

The voice said. Knowing who this was I smiled.

"I see that you're getting very good at your stealth training Lime"

I said wryly as the cold metal that was pressing against my neck was taken away. Lime patted me on my shoulder and walked through the mass of individuals that lined the shore. I looked at the moon again. It had lost its Blue hue and the aura that flared around it had become absent. My gaze was broken by the lampshade things that were floating across the sky and the water. I looked back at the mass that was dissipating rapidly. I could hear some crying quietly while they departed from the beach. It took some time for all of the individuals that were at the beach to leave. The moon was just over the water when the last commoner left. Looking down the beach to the right side, I could see Rojo sitting in the sand looking up at the moon. I looked to the right to see Marine along with another individual standing next to him. They seemed to be practicing A form of some sort. This piqued my interest, so I walked slowly down to them. I watched the intricacy of the moves that they performed. I was so used to seeing Marine be the embodiment of clumsiness and laziness.

Very much like NightShade was.

I thought to myself. I was nearing the two of them when they had stopped their form. Marine was facing away from me, but the individual beside him spotted me.

"Marine, we got company!"

The new individual said nervously. Marine looked behind him to see what this individual was talking about. When he saw it was me, he smiled and turned fully around to face me. He took on a thoughtful pose.

"What brings you here?"

He asked me with some contempt in his voice. I scowled and Marine went into the sentry pose immediately. The other individual followed Marine's action and Marine started to shake slightly.

"I am sorry for my actions Council Member NorthWind".

He said quietly. My scowl turned to A smile and I put my hands on my hips.

"You should know by now not to give me grief Private Marine".

I said sarcastically. Marine took a deep breath.

"At ease soldiers!"

I shouted. The other individual flinched and took a casual stance with his arms behind his back.

"If I may ask-"

The other individual started.

"Shh! She did not tell you to speak!"

Marine hissed. I chuckled to myself.

"Marine, look around you! We are not currently in boot camp, so you can address me like anyone else would".

I said calmly with A wink. Marine's jaw dropped at he looked at me with an incredulous stare. He quickly regained his composure and stood like the individual beside him.

"I knew that Northwind was cool".

The individual said in a mocking way as he turned to look at Marine. Marine looked sheepishly at the ground.

"I guess you were right Sapphire".

He said quietly. He looked back up at me and then he looked at The one called Sapphire.

"You wanted to ask me A question, right Sapphire?"

I asked him as he shifted his weight nervously. He nodded slightly.

"There is no need right now to be formal, just ask your question".

I said evenly. I had no idea what Captain Rojo was doing with his trainees, but whatever it was, this was degrading to them.

"Well then; by all means, speak, for I am listening".

I told Sapphire. He stopped shifting his weight and looked me in the eye.

"My question is the same as Marine's; what are you doing here?"

He asked quietly as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. I chuckled to myself.

"I was merely trying to find some individuals that would entertain me for a bit while the others set up the ceremony".

I said with A smile. I saw Sapphire and Marine let out their held breaths. They were so powerful, the sand swirled around their boots as they let out their breaths.

"Now i've heard that you have done some training with your particular element color, right Marine?"

I asked him while he took off his boots. This was something that I have never seen Marine do before. I knew from the past that Marine was given these boots by Captain Rojo as an initiation into the Island Defense Force. Sapphire looked at Marine in bewilderment.

"What are you doing?"

He cried as Marine went knee-deep into the water. When Marine was there, he turned back around to face Sapphire and I.

"I'd like like to show how much I've progressed!"

He said enthusiastically. Sapphire looked at me worriedly for a moment and I shrugged.

"I think our time would be better spent getting to the event".

I said slowly. Marine looked at the water and sulked.

"I guess you're right NorthWind".

He said quietly as he started back up to the shore.

"However-"

I started. Marine stopped wading out of the water and looked at me with an expression of pure dejection.

"I think that you may have just enough time to show us what exactly you have in store for us".

I said with a wink. Marine's expression changed so fast, I thought he would've pulled some of the muscles in his face. He beamed with an expression of pure joy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Marine beamed with joyous cries. I looked at Sapphire, who had his face buried in his hands.

"Why does he have to be such a child?"

He asked through his composure. I turned back to Marine, who was now knee deep in the water once again. He squared his shoulders and put his hands together in front of him. He then put his hands together in front of him and started to breathe deeply. I saw his nostrils flare slightly as he drew his breaths. Shortly after he started taking these deep breaths, the moon was directly behind him, causing his body glow with a slight Blue aura. The light of the moon illuminated the sparkling crystal clear water around him. Marine looked at the water for a moment before he started to make hand gestures that seemed to follow the motions that waves would. The entire process did not take much time, and the gestures ended with him looking at the starlit sky. Wavelets started to lap the shore as I felt the tide rise. I watched two streams of water that formed two rings that were a very deep Blue in color. These rings floated through the air and settled around his wrists. Marine turned back around. I heard him utter some more words, and as soon as these words were finished, the rings of water moved up his arms and settled around his shoulders. I saw Marine tense up as the water swirled around his feet. Marine then spun around once, and right after that happened, the wind picked up. Sand was lifted from the ground while I looked up to the starry sky. Clouds were starting to form above him as he looked up to the sky above him. I saw A portion of the clouds above Marine start to rotate at a high rate of speed. The sand raged around all of us, stinging my eyes and causing my vision blurred with the tears the sand brought as it blew all around. Through the haze, I could see the spinning column of the clouds slowly descend from the sky. The spinning column of clouds formed a point on the bottom of the vortex as the point touched the water. I closed my eyes for A second to try and clear my eyes of the sand that made the area around us a light Brown with haze brought on by the sand. I opened my eyes again to see Marine doubled over in what seemed to be pain. The haze was still clouding the air. I heard an individual run past me as I closed my eyes again.

"Zephyr!"

A familiar voice shouted. A strong gust of wind blew for a short moment that cleared the haze from the air. I had to blink my eyes some more to clear the stinging particles of sand out of my eyes. I shook my head, sending some tears to the ground. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Rojo helping Marine walk along. I shook my head some more to get the dizziness out of my head. When my vision came back into focus, Frostbite stood before me, along with Captain Rojo and Marine. Marine mustered a smile and went into A coughing fit. This caused Rojo to look at Marine worriedly.

"You really had to overdo it didn't you?"

Rojo asked with A little laugh. Marine looked sheepishly up at Rojo when he was done coughing.

"I really had to; NorthWind was watching and I didn't want to disappoint her".

He said. When he finished, Marine went into another coughing fit.

"That means that you had to use two unstable elements that were way above your current Elemental Level?"

Frostbite asked him crossly with her hands on her hips. Marine looked up at Frostbite, which got a cross stare from Rojo.

"You might want to choose your words carefully Council Member Frostbite".

Rojo said slowly. Frostbite shifted her gaze from the tired Marine to the fierce gaze of Rojo.

"You might want to do the same Captain Rojo".

She said sternly. The two locked eyes, and for A moment, I thought I saw sparks in the space between their gazes for A split second. I shook my head.

"Marine only wanted to show NorthWind how he was progressing; what's so wrong with that?

Rojo said evenly. I could tell that he was getting upset.

"Don't we all have somewhere to be?"

I asked the group before anything could arise.

"I would agree with that statement".

A voice said from somewhere behind me. I whipped around to see who it was that spoke. Emperor emerged from the brush. On his back was the Reborn, which glowed softly. He was wearing A regal-looking robe that was Black in color, but had Red accents. He was also wearing A crown that had gems that followed the main colors of the Common Yoshi Scale Color.

"I saw some commotion from the castle".

Emperor started. He shifted uneasily while he spoke. I could tell that he didn't like what he was wearing at all. I knew from past experiences that he hated being treated so well.

"what's going on here?"

He asked before anyone could say anything. I looked at Rojo. He was still supporting Marine with his right shoulder. Rojo looked at Emperor.

"As we just got done explaining to Frostbite, Marine went a little overboard with impressing NorthWind here".

He explained. Marine looked at the ground.

"I wasn't trying to impress her!".

He growled. Rojo took his gaze off of Frostbite and looked down at Marine.

"I could leave you here and let you walk back yourself".

He said with a smile. Marine looked up at him fearfully.

"Please don't even joke about that Rojo."

Marine pleaded. Emperor waved his hand in a beckoning way.

"Let's not waste any time getting back to the event!"

Emperor called. Just then, the bushes rustled softly and Venom emerged. He carried A long and wide box on his back. I heard Rojo whisper something to Marine. I took A quick glance to see if Marine was ok. I watched him collapse onto the sand and go into another coughing fit. Rojo ran past me and helped Venom carry the box to the water. All of our gazes went to the box. It was polished and had a lot of intricately etched drawings and patterns all over the box. On the top of the box was a name. It was carved into A brass plate. Next to the brass plate was A Flower.

"That's A very nice specimen of the Atropa Belladonna you have there!"

A new voice exclaimed. All of us turned to see Lemon standing near Emperor. She walked past him and stood next to the box.

"Surely there has to be some reason why you're sending this box away".

Lemon said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. She started looking for the releases of the box.

"What's in here Rojo?"

She asked as she continued looking for the releases. Rojo sighed.

"You won't find any releases to the box Lemon."

Rojo said quietly.

"If you want to know what is in the box, you might want to check the name that's been carved into the brass".

Venom said quietly. Lemon stopped looking all over the box for the releases and slowly went back to the nameplate. Lemon gasped.

"No. It can't be!"

She cried backing away from the box. Venom looked away from the box and Rojo stiffened.

"Now Lemon, there's no need to be alarmed".

Rojo started. Lemon continued to take steps back while Venom turned back to the box.

"I'm gonna need your help to move this mountain".

Venom said with A strained voice as he tried to push the box into the water.

"You can't push A box that's made of Balsa and Red Oak into water?"

Rojo asked with A half-smile. Venom sighed.

"Are you gonna help me or not?"

He grouched as he continued to struggle with pushing the box into the water. Rojo sighed heavily and pushed the box. I heard them both growl as they strained to move the box. The box slid forward and sunk into the water. Lemon gasped again and she put her hand over her mouth in fear. Rojo and Venom stood up to their full heights and saluted in the direction of the box that they had just sent off. For A moment, the box was not visible.

"I guess that's all then".

Lemon sighed sadly. Lemon started walking slowly with Emperor back through the brush to the event. I turned my gaze from the two back to the water. I looked just in time to see the box resurface. The water boiled around it as it continued to make its way to the surface. Rojo and Venom, along with Sapphire and Marine were now saluting the box. I watched the box until it disappeared along the horizon. Rojo let out A sigh.

"It's time to return to the event".

He said evenly. He turned around and walked halfway up the beach.

"March in time soldiers!"

He shouted. I saw Marine, Sapphire and Venom flinch as Rojo gave the command. They scrambled to get in line behind Rojo. as soon as they were in line, Rojo gave the next command.

"Soldiers march! Four time!"

Rojo shouted again as he started marching at a very quick pace. The line of soldiers only took a few seconds to leave us before it was only Frostbite and I on the beach. She turned to me with a worried look.

"What exactly do you think Marine was trying to accomplish?"

She asked me as she fidgeted with her hands.

"I really thought that he had control over his Element Color".

I replied quietly. Absently, I started to pace.

"How do you think that he was able to use that much magic energy?"

Frostbite asked me as I paced.

"The only way I could see that happening was if he was able to combine the elements Water and Air".

I murmured to myself as I paced. I stopped pacing and stared Intently at her.

"Do you really think that Marine is really that good at combining elements?"

I asked Frostbite. She turned away from me and looked at the moon, which was now halfway obscured by the watery expanse.

"I'll talk to you about it while we walk to the event if that's OK with you".

She said with an ominous tone. Out of fear, I walked over to Frostbite to make sure that she was ok. I was about to put my hand on her shoulder when she snapped.

"Don't touch me!"

She seethed. Instinctively, I brought my hand back in fear.

"Are you ok Frostbite?"

I asked worriedly as I took A couple of steps back in fear. Frostbite started taking in large amounts of air.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just start without me".

She said quietly as she started to shake all over. I started causing my way up the beach. I wanted to get away from Frostbite, but I wanted to watch the event.

I care for Frostbite, but should I do what she told me, or should I stay here and watch her to make sure she is ok?

I asked myself this as I neared the top of the beach. I stopped just before the path that led up to the main area of the Administrative District and looked back at Frostbite, who was still shaking. I sighed and continued to walk along the path.


	14. Chapter 13 (The Main Event)

hapter 13 The Main Event

Rojo's P.O.V

While I marched along the path that led up to the event, I mulled something over in my mind.

_Why are Emperor and Abyss like in some ways, but not others?_

This question had been bothering me ever since I fought Abyss not so long ago. I knew that they were both individuals of the same species, but why were their ideals drastically different? As we marched, I studied the scenery around me. We were walking along A small dirt path that was covered in small pebbles of various dark colors. I could see various small creatures scurrying up and down the tree trunks, and the rustling of leaves as A weak breeze stirred them. The crunching of gravel resounded in the forest as we continued to march.

"Captain Rojo?"

Marine asked me suddenly. I stopped marching and turned around to look at him. I crossed my arms and gave him an intense gaze with my narrowed eyes.

"What is it Marine?"

I asked as I narrowed my eyes.

"I feel that we are being followed".

He said quietly. Sapphire, who had been lagging behind, stopped close to where Marine stood.

"What's going on? Why are we stopped?"

He asked quickly. I scoffed.

"Marine thinks we are being followed"

I replied sarcastically. I muttered something abrasive under my breath and continued my march to the event. I now paid more attention to my surroundings. I had to; just to make sure that Marine was more at ease. I couldn't take another large span of his incessant complaining.

_How could I call Marine A soldier if he still whines and complains? Even more so, How could Marine have the ability to complain after what he just demonstrated?_

This thought ran through my mind as I neared the event. I was about to take A step when something impacted my neck. The projectile did not hurt me, but whatever it was, stuck into my neck. Instinctively, I brought my hand up to my neck and felt along my neck for the object that stuck in my neck as I marched towards my destination. I watched the passing scenery from the corners of my eyes. I could understand why Marine felt that we were being followed.

Pew

Another projectile was fired. I followed the sound of the projectile as it flew through the air. I turned around with extreme speed and grabbed the projectile just before it impacted Marine. He flinched when he saw me turn. Sapphire walked into the back of Marine and he fell to the ground. I looked past Marine to see Sapphire if was ok. He looked up at me with an unamused expression on his face.

"If you wanted to stop, you could've told me that you wanted to. We're only about A hundred feet from the gates".

Sapphire growled angrily. I didn't care that Sapphire was trying to talk back to me; I cared that something was trying to take out my team. I looked at the object in my hand momentarily. Seeing that it was nothing important, I threw it into the brush.

"Number one priority: keep ourselves safe".

I told the two. Sapphire brushed himself off and stood up.

"Let me guess; Delta Formation?"

Sapphire asked with expectancy in his voice. I looked at Marine.

"You agree with that?"

I asked him quickly. Marine nodded slightly and took two interesting knifelike objects from his boots. He stood sideways in the traditional fighting stance. I took my Heavy Sword off of my back and stood in the same way as Marine. I did not look to see what Sapphire chose as his weapon, but I could tell that is was something related to magic by the way the surrounding area shimmered slightly.

"What's your weapon of choice Sapphire?"

Marine asked while stood guard on his side of the formation. Sapphire's voice was unusually quiet for some reason.

"I'm using the weapon you couldn't Marine. That should be enough to give you a hint"

He replied abrasively. Marine scoffed.

"I just asked you a question; there's no need for you to be so upset"

He replied with the same amount of edge in his voice. I watched from my side of the formation for anything that moved. It was hard to focus on anything due to the cheering and applause that resounded from the gate. Looking through the mass of trees, I saw something odd. The object looked like something I had seen only once before. Whatever this was, was very thin and had A large head. The trees and the darkness almost obscured my sight of the figure.

"Soldiers! Something on my side!"

I hissed. I heard Marine and Sapphire shift from their sides to see what I was looking at.

"I don't see what you're getting at Rojo; are you sure that there's something that you see?"

Marine asked quietly. I used my hand to angle his head so that he could see what I was looking at.

"What in the world?"

Marine asked himself in disbelief.

"I see what you're seeing too Rojo"

Sapphire reported. he turned to face me.

"Do you think that… whatever that is, is responsible for putting the Assassin Lizard points in our necks?"

Marine asked as he watched the figure float towards us. As the figure came closer, I could see two pinpoints of Red light form in the darkness. Whatever this was moved silently as it floated closer to us. As the figure moved closer, the wind suddenly stopped blowing, the lizards that scrambled up the trees suddenly stopped moving, the leaves that rustled quietly in the wind laid still, and then everything seemed to stop as the figure stopped close to where we were. The figure still kept to the darkness, but now I could see what exactly we were looking at. The composure of this figure scared me to my very bones. Looking at this thing made me numb all over. The figure was very thin, had two huge eyes that had Red pinpoints of light that illuminated this thing's face(if it was able to be called a face). I followed the Purple lines that went straight down from the bottom of this thing's eyes. These trails went all the way down to this thing's mouth, which seemed to be carved into this thing's face. The mouth was curved up at the edges in A demonic smile that had three rows of teeth.

"It's rude to stare you know"

The figure said with what seemed to be a weak and hoarse voice . What astounded and scared me was the fact that this thing was able to use magic as well as look intimidating. The thing glided over to stand even closer to where we were standing.

"I have only one proposition for the three of you: leave my acquaintances alone"

The thing said as it stood itself right in front of me. It was then that the smell of this thing hit me. It took only one breath to make my eyes water and for me to double over in an extreme coughing fit. From the corner of my eye, I could see Marine and Sapphire move to protect me. When I was done coughing, I looked up at the thing. Now I could see something similar to a small ribcage jutting out from the material that was the things skin… or what looked like to be skin.

"Make any move, and you're done".

Marine said before I could open my mouth.

"You really have no respect for your superiors?"

The thing asked as it pointed at Marine. As soon as the thing pointed at Marine, he collapsed to the ground and started writhing. I saw Sapphire look quickly at Marine, then back to the thing.

"You're gonna pay for that !"

Sapphire shouted in anger. I only had time to shake my head before the same thing happened to him. He fell next to me, and it was only me and this thing that were left. I stood up and looked directly at the thing.

"They are not dead; I have merely just stopped their hearts from beating for thirty seconds so I could speak with you".

The thing said with A gurgling laugh that made me go numb all over again.

"Let's start off with the obvious, shall we?"

The thing asked me. I started to shake as I put my sword back on my back.

"That should lighten the mood, right?"

I tried to joke. Needless to say, I was terrified of what this thing was and of its capabilities.

"I asked not for your jokes, but your name"

The thing said with a hint of annoyance in its voice. I really did not want to make this thing upset in any way. I just saw it stop the hearts of my soldiers! Who knows what this thing could do if it really wanted to cause destruction? I tried my voice.

"My name is Captain Rojo. I am the leader of the Island Defense Force"

I said with A wavering voice. The thing laughed again. The pinpoints of light turned from Red to White.

"I do not care for your rank or your occupation, all you need to know is that I am the nightmare that haunts your sanity".

The thing said. For some reason, I had to blink. I did just that, and when I did, the thing had vanished… Completely from our sight. I immediately went to Marine to make sure that he was ok. I put my head on his chest and listened for A heartbeat. I had to listen closely, but there was indeed a slow and weak pulse that resounded from within his chest. I got back up and went to Sapphire, but he was already up. He was looking at me crossly.

"Why didn't you stop me from causing those rash decisions?"

He asked me with a hint of anger in his voice. I stared straight back at him.

"That was because you acted before I could say anything"

I replied with A half-smile. Then my expression changed to that of annoyance.

"You should know by now not to challenge your superiors"

I said quietly as I looked to Marine. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground and was looking up at me.

"I see your reasoning for that now"

Marine said with a short laugh. I helped Marine up and suddenly I was hit with the feeling that this was just the precursor to something that was going to happen soon. I was almost never the one to get premonitions, but this time, the feeling was strong.

"No need to march this time, just stay close to me and don't do anything stupid"

I said breathlessly. We walked the last bit of the path until we stopped right before the city gates. I raised my hand to knock on the wooden gate, when the wooden slat in the gate was opened.

"Captain Rojo and two others"

I stated to the individual on the other side. The slat closed and the giant gate opened with a loud creaking sound. When the gate was opened, A huge procession started. Many colored individuals on both sides of the path started throwing leaves over our heads as we walked along.

_I'm not A decorated war hero, there's something off about this._

I thought to myself as I walked the streets to Emperor's Castle. I tried not to give any attention to the fact that I was being celebrated. I could hear Sapphire and Marine taking full advantage of the situation though. I put all of that aside as I tried to remember what caused Venom to change. While I pondered this, I found myself already at the road that led up to the CourtHouse.

"Why aren't you celebrating Rojo?"

Marine asked me as he put his hand on my shoulder. I looked at Marine.

"What is there to celebrate?"

I replied grouchily as I shrugged off his hand and walked up to the building. I stopped halfway and turned to look back at Marine and Sapphire.

"You guys go to the castle, ok?"

I asked them. They looked at each other and then back to me.

"Sure boss, will do"

Both of them said in unison with A salute. They then ran off like children.

"I suppose you're looking for me?"

Emperor said from behind me. I turned to him. He no longer had the decorated robe or the colored crown.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you"

I replied quietly. Emperor nodded slowly.

"There's only one more event left. That's the main event that I've saved for you"

Emperor said with A little smile.

"If you'd walk with me to the castle, everyone's gathered in the Royal Breakfast Hall to see your Award Ceremony"

Emperor stated while he took me by my shoulder and led me to the Castle.

"Sapphire and Marine are already at the Breakfast Hall"

I told Emperor as we walked to the Breakfast Hall. as we neared the place, I looked up at the sky. For A second, I thought that I saw what looked like to be A half-dragon Half-yoshi like figure flying across the stars. The wingbeats and the strokes that this figure took were elegant and efficient. I saw from the corner of my eye that Emperor was looking at the sky too.

"You've never seen such elegance in flying before Rojo?"

Emperor asked me with A little laugh.

"Do you know who that is that's flying up there?"

I asked him as we neared the Breakfast Hall. Emperor stopped walking, so I did as well. He looked at me.

"There's only one that could fly with such elegance; take A wild guess"

He told me sarcastically.

"Take A wild guess?"

I asked him. Emperor nodded as he looked up once again. The figure had vanished into the night sky.

"Cynder?"

I asked him. Emperor looked back at me.

"You're right, now let's go inside and get you some recognition for your actions in battle!"

He said enthusiastically as he practically dragged me through the doors. I was unable to adjust quickly to all the noise and the lighting that came from the Breakfast Hall.

"Your Hero of War is amongst you! Give him some praise why don't you?"

Emperor called above all the racket the individuals in the Breakfast Hall were causing. As Emperor called out, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I could feel all of the gazes fall on me. For A moment, nothing happened. I was about to let out A sigh of relief when the entirety of the Breakfast Hall erupted into cheering and applause. Emperor led me through the masses of cheering individuals to A table that sat all of my acquaintances. I saw all of the High Council Members, Sapphire, Marine, and Halcyon at the table. There was A single empty chair that was left for me.

"That one is yours Rojo; feel free to take that place if you wish"

He said as Emperor went to sit on the ground next to Lemon. I sat down in the chair and listened to the conversation that the High Council was having.

"What are we to do with our current state?"

Rose asked the table. Lemon fidgeted with her hands as the question was being asked. Rose saw that Lemon was nervous. I saw her smile to herself.

"What do you think we could do Lemon?"

Rose asked her. Lemon looked up from what she was doing.

"I believe that the best way to assess the damage is to take elemental samples of the wreckage"

She said over the commotion of the individuals in the room. The others nodded in agreement.

"Even if we had the materials to do that, our current technology would have to jump dramatically"

Northwind said flatly from across the table.

Everyone at the table looked at Northwind.

"Have you no faith in our technologies?"

Mercury asked her with narrowed eyes. I saw Northwind draw A large breath.

"I've seen what we as A species are capable of"

I said quickly before Northwind could lose her cool. Everyone at the table looked at me. It was just then I saw that their faces were lit by A candle.

"What nonsense do you speak of Captain Rojo?"

Halcyon asked me from the other side of the table. I looked crossly at him.

"I thought you were the leader of this island chain, you should know everything that's going on!"

I said loudly along with some edge. Halcyon leaned forward so that he could look directly at me

"Yes, that's my rank, but you are in no position to disrespect me Rojo"

Halcyon said evenly. He leaned back in his chair. The others just stared openmouthed at me in disbelief.

"Anyways, let's get back to the subject that we were on"

I said evenly. The others looked at Halcyon, but somehow, he had left.

"I would prefer not to follow the subject that we were talking about, but I have a new suggestion"

Lemon stated with some nervousness in her voice. The others took their gazes from me and they settled on Lemon.

"I'd like to propose the petition that we should give recognition to Rojo for his bravery in battle"

She said while looking at me with a wink. I scoffed.

"I really didn't do that much"

I started to say, but the others didn't seem to hear me. Emperor got up from his seat on the floor and produced A small box. He slid the box to me, using the table as A mode of transportation for sliding this box. The box slid across the table and stopped at the edge of the table where I was sitting.

"Go ahead; open it"

Emperor urged me. The others nodded.

"Yeah, open the box!"

The others said almost in unison. The commotion from our table made everyone else in the room go silent as well. I looked over my shoulder to see all the individuals in the room looking at me intently.

"Open it!"

Lime started to chant.

"Oh no"

Lemon moaned softly as she buried her head in her hands.

"Here we go!"

Marine shouted. Suddenly the whole room was ringing with the chant.

"Open it, open it!"

They chanted. I looked at the box. It seemed to have the consistency of Red Oak. designs were carved into the sides of the box. On the top of the box, was my name and A small portrait of me with the sword I had used to fight Abyss. I looked up from the box to see the individuals at my table now banging the top of the table in time with the chant that they were saying.

I got up from my seat and the chanting slowly died down. I looked for the podium that the team should have set up, but I was distracted by how well the individuals of the Administrative District put this hall together. The tapestries were even more elegant, the tables had silk tablecloths over them, there was a single candle that had enough light to cover each table with A wavering light that sent shadows dancing across the walls. I felt something take me by the arm and lead me to A set of stairs that led up to A podium of sorts. I was almost to the ceiling at this point. I turned around to see that I was in the center of the room. I was now on A square just large enough for two individuals.

"Just stay cool and say what comes to your mind ok Rojo?"

Northwind said to me. I looked over at her.

"You're going to facilitate the ceremony?"

I asked her incredulously. She nodded slightly.

"I believe that this is yours"

She said with A smile as she gave me the box. She turned around to face the audience.

"Citizens of the United Islands, we are gathered here today to make known the actions of one brave and valiant individual who placed his life in the line of danger so that he could protect and better our lives".

Northwind started. She turned me around to face the audience.

"This individual you know very well, so let's give him A round of applause why don't we?"

She asked the audience. The audience erupted into applause. Northwind waited A little for the audience to become quiet once again.

"Captain Rojo, I would like to present you with the highest form of accreditation that we as a High Council can offer you".

She said to the audience. She then turned to me and took the box from me.

"Captain Rojo, are you ready to receive your just reward for your heroic actions?"

She asked me with A full smile on her face. I was only able to stand and look at her. I was paralyzed with fear and nervousness.

"I-I am C-Council M-Member N-Northwind"

I stammered. Northwind chuckled. She looked back at the audience.

"Now that you have heard him say that he is ready to receive his reward, let's watch to see what kind of reward Rojo is going to receive!"

She announced to the audience. She then turned back to me.

"Hold out your right hand"

She instructed me. I extended my arm and held out my hand with the palm facing upwards. Northwind placed the box on my palm. I could hear the audience whisper and murmur as the box was placed on my palm.

"Now when I say for you to open the box, open the box with the lid facing away from you"

She instructed me as she turned back to the audience.

"Now it is my pleasure, along with the High Council's and the United Island Archipelago's leader Halcyon that we present the award to Captain Rojo of the Administrative District!"

When Northwind was done announcing to the audience, she nudged me with her elbow. I turned to the audience and used my left hand to open the box. It was hard to open the box with my left hand and open it facing the audience, but somehow I was able to do just that without dropping the box. As I opened the box to its fullest, some of the audience gasped and some started to cheer. Others just gaped in shock.

"Rojo?"

Northwind asked as she turned to me.

"What is it?"

I responded quickly. Northwind smiled.

"You may now look at the award you have received"

She told me as she took the box from my hand. She turned the box around to face me. I almost fainted when I saw what the award was.

"No…"

I said in complete shock.

"Yes, you truly are deserving of the United Island Defense Force Medal of Honor"

I was only able to gaze at the medal that was before me. It was made of pure gold, and was in the shape of A star. On the outside of the medal there was an intricate design that seemed to imitate a wreath. It was Green in color and seemed to span the entirety of the outside of the medal. In the middle of the star, there was A circle with the United Island Archipelago and in the middle of the insignia was my name. The medal was polished with Resin that made the metal shine in the candlelight that was illuminating the room.

"I….I'm"

I started to say, but Northwind put her hand up to silence me.

"I know that it's an honor; just accept it and you can go back to your table"

She told me. I took the box with trembling hands. As I took the box, the crowd erupted back into applause as I hurried off of the stage. I pushed through the crowd of people. I was acting out of pure fear now. I threw open the doors that led into the Royal Breakfast Hall and looked in both directions wildy for my house. It was on the edge of this district near the beach that I had just come from.

_The beach was not far from here_

I told myself. I burst into A run from my fear. I was just given the highest award known to my species! I ran until I could run no more. By that time, I was on the patch of rocks that led down to the beach. It was then that I remembered what this beach's name was. It was called Sunrise Sands. It was given this name by Siren when she first started to head the Administrative District. I looked down the beach for my house. I wanted my house to be built here because I didn't like to be around anyone I didn't know. I had no idea why I could be with my friends all the time, but it made me wonder if I was truly missing something. I walked down the beach on the left side to look for my house. I walked at a brisk pace due to my fear and tension. I saw the sun coming up from the horizon from the corner of my eye. I often came here for the sunrises with Sunrise.

_Speaking of which, where is that crazy lizard?_

I asked myself as I turned around to look to see if anyone had followed me. I saw Sunrise standing at A distance away from me. I did not know why I liked watching the sunrises so much, but it comforted me for some reason. Sunrise did not seem to notice me for some reason either. I shrugged to myself and turned back around to find my house, but there was an individual of my species standing in the brush looking at me. I could see this from the corner of my left eye. This did make me A little uncomfortable, but I didn't let it get to me. I continued walking down the beach looking for my house. I knew that there was A single palm tree that was on the right side of my house. It was near the end of the beach on the left side that I found my house. It was built into the side of a hill. I had built the house by myself out of Red Oak, Palm Wood and bricks. I sighed as I parted the bushes that hid my house and opened the door. I looked in the single room that was my house. I walked inside and shut the door behind me and locked it. Locks were relatively new to our species. I particularly liked them because much like my door that kept others out, the locks kept things that were meant to be protected, inside of where they were supposed to be. I walked to the right side of the room where my bed was. I stood at the foot of my bed deciding whether I was too tired to sleep.

"I guess so"

I sighed to myself as I took my Heavy Sword off of my back and leaned it up against the foot of my bed. I walked back around my bed and flopped onto it. I stared at the ceiling.

_Why is it so hard to sleep these days?_

I asked myself as I listened to the waves crash against the rocks. It was A calming sound that reminded me of clashing swords. I slowly found myself drifting off into sleep. When my eyes closed, I felt that I was being watched, but I let it go for the time being. When I woke up, the sun was shining directly in my eyes. I put my hand up to shield myself from the unusually bright light that blinded me. I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and swung my legs over the side of the bed to catch my breath. For some reason I hurt all over. I rubbed the spot that held the Assassin Lizard point. Oddly enough, there was no trace of it.

There's no possible way it could've fallen out.

I told myself as I got up from the bed and stretched. I got my sword from the foot of my bed and walked to my door. As soon as I got to the door, there was A knock.

"Who is bothering me at this time of day?"

I growled as I opened the door and put my boots on. As soon as I saw who it was, my breath caught in my throat.

"My king!"

I said as I knelt in the doorway.

"Rojo, I thought we talked about this"

I heard Emperor say with a growl. I had trouble bringing my gaze to him, so I just knelt in place.

"You can get up Rojo; there's no need to treat me with so much respect. I'm the same as you"

Emperor said evenly as he helped me up from my kneeling position. Emperor turned around and walked through the brush.

"You might want to see this Rojo! It looks like Sunrise!"

Emperor called from beyond the brush. I heard his footsteps as he walked along the sand. I pushed the brush aside and saw Emperor kneeling next to A motionless body of an individual of my species on the beach. I burst into A run, being fueled by nervousness and my insatiable drive to help others. I almost flew across the sand by how fast I was running. I slid A distance to stop myself in the sand so that I could stop myself. I walked over to Emperor and looked at the fallen individual on the ground. The individual was moaning softly and was shaking. This individual's eyes were closed and was now trying to curl itself into A protective ball.

"Hey, can you tell me your name?"

Emperor asked soothingly to the individual. The individual stopped trying to curl itself up and straightened out. The individual did not open its eyes, but it stopped shaking and moaning.

"H-Help"

The individual said softly. Emperor looked over the body of the individual.

"There does not seem to be any damage on the outside of this individual, but this one is obviously in pain"

Emperor murmured to himself as he stood up and brushed the sand off of his hands.

"You know, I just wish that the proper individuals should be at the right place at the right time"

Emperor growled to himself. He looked at me crossly.

"You have first aid training, right? I'm going to get Lemon. Stay here and look after this one ok?"

He asked me as he started walking away from me quickly.

"Yeah… I do"

I told myself as I saw Emperor turn the corner that led up to the gates to the city.

"I hate it when people just drop their grievances on my time"

I growled to myself as I knelt beside the individual once again.

"Sunrise?"

I asked the individual. The eyes of the individual opened slowly.

"R-Rojo?"

Sunrise said hoarsely. He went into a coughing fit that was so severe, he coughed up blood. After the coughing fit, he smiled weakly.

"Do you think i'm gonna be alright?"

He asked me while he tried to sit up. I stopped him from trying to right himself and he flopped onto the sand once again. He looked up at me with a bewildered expression.

"I don't feel right Rojo. when is Lemon going to be here?"

He asked as he started to curl up again. I sat down on the sand and rubbed his shoulder.

"It's going to be fine Sunrise. If anything happens, I'm going to be right here to fix whatever happens"

I said with A reassuring tone. Right after I said that, I heard panicked pounding of feet against the little pebbles that lined the path to the beach. I looked up from Sunrise to see Emperor and Lemon running towards us. Lemon seemed to have A box tied to her back. I noticed this right away because it seemed to span more than the length of her back. When they reached us, Emperor cut the ropes that bound the box to her back. The box fell on the ground, spraying sand everywhere for A moment.

"What is the extent of your injuries?"

Lemon asked as she sat in the sand right next to where Sunrise laid.

"I have no idea, but I did feel something hit my neck"

Sunrise said as he rolled over to look at Lemon. Lemon sighed.

"Let me see your neck"

She said as Sunrise moved to let Lemon see his neck. Lemon carefully raised his head and felt around his neck for A abnormal object. I spotted it before Lemon did.

"Right there under his left cheek"

I said to Lemon. She maneuvered Sunrise's head to that she could see what was in his neck.

"You're very lucky that this didn't hit any major veins in your neck Sunrise"

Lemon stated as she stood up.

"Why's that?"

Sunrise asked as he turned to look back at me. I shrugged and followed Lemon to the box that was on the sand. Lemon opened the box. I shuddered when I saw the contents of the box. Various technical machines were organized in the box, along with various sizes and shapes of needles with an assortment of tweezers for each size and shape. Lemon selected one that was short and pointed at the end. She then walked back to Sunrise.

"I've done this at least one hundred times already. There's no need to be scared first off"

She said as if she rehearsed this more times than I could count. Lemon positioned the tweezers on the foreign object in his neck and then Lemon turned to me.

"You might want to cover your ears for this one"

She said to me as I watched Lemon tighten her grip on the tweezers.

"Don't worry my friend; this will only hurt for A moment"

Lemon said soothingly. I had just enough time to cover my ears as Lemon yanked the object out of Sunrise's neck. I heard him scream in agony as the object was taken out of his neck. The scream only lasted for A short second, but it echoed in my head, causing my vision swim. I took my hands off of my ears.

"Get me some paper towels if you would be so kind"

Lemon told me. I turned to the box and rifled through the assortment of tools. I found the paper towels at the end of the box. I picked the roll up and tossed it to Lemon. She caught the roll and tore a piece off of the roll and applied it to Sunrise's neck, which was bleeding profusely.

"Are you sure that this amount of blood is normal?"

I asked nervously as I watched blood slowly flow down his neck. Lemon took more pieces off of the roll and stuffed them inside the small hole in his neck. I shuddered as I saw the blood slowly turn the pieces of towel Red from the blood that wanted to seep through the towels. She then looked up at me crossly.

"If you want to watch and learn, then do so. If you're going to bother me with your incessant questions, then leave"

She grouched. I put up my hands in defeat.

"Ok, ok, I get it. I'll leave you alone!"

I growled. Suddenly I had an Idea. I turned to Emperor, who was looking off into the vast expanse of the water that rippled and sparkled with the rising sun.

"Hey Emperor?"

I asked with A hint of nervousness in my voice. I was nervous by the fact that I had disrespected such A high ranking figure.

"What is it?"

He responded with A quiet voice without turning to look at me. I stood at attention and saluted him.

"If it would please you, I would like to have you attend A training session with the recruits if would please you"

I said respectfully. Emperor turned to look at me.

"What do you think would be the result of that?"

He asked me as he crossed his arms. I saw A flash of anger cross his eyes as he stared me down.

"I think that you would take enjoyment in knowing that you can put your trust in me!"

I shouted with respect. Emperor smiled.

"At ease soldier!"

He yelled back with A smile.

"Come on Rojo, let's see what you've done with your time"

Emperor said cheerfully as he started me walking by pushing me forward. As I started to walk, I took A quick look behind me. Lemon was still tending to Sunrise, and I was hit with A sudden wave of fear. I stopped walking and Emperor looked at me.

"What's going on Rojo?"

Emperor asked as he stopped walking.

"I thought you were so eager to show me your efforts"

He said with a hint of annoyance as I gazed back at Sunrise.

"Are you sure that they're going to be ok here by themselves?"

I asked as I turned back to look at Emperor. He scoffed.

"If you know that Sunrise can make drinks and Lemon is exceptionally smart, why do you ask this question?"

Emperor said abrasively. I took A step back in fear. Then, Emperor smiled and hit me playfully in the shoulder.

"I wasn't being serious; now let's get A move on, shall we?"

He asked as he started off at A brisk pace. I shook off my fear and jogged A short distance to catch up to Emperor. By the time I caught up to him, we had reached the path that led up to the gates.

"I feel A strong presence of evil here"

I heard him say under his breath. At this point, I wondered whether or not I should've told Emperor what happened not too long ago that concerned this place. He stopped at the point where the sand became small pebbles that seemed to pave a road through the forest. He turned to me.

"What happened here Rojo?"

He asked me with A hint of tension in his voice. My breath caught in my throat.

_How could he know? He wasn't there! Did Marine tell him? Did Sapphire tell him?_

I thought wildly as Emperor continued to look at me.

"Why don't we talk about it while we travel to the barracks?"

Emperor asked as he started to walk again.


	15. Chapter 14 (The Nightmare Awakens)

Chapter 14 The Nightmare Awakens

John's P.O.V

Pain still coursed all over my body. The jagged rocky points cut into my scales as I tried to find the strength to climb out of the hole I had made in the ground. Every time that I made a move to get up, I could only move the fingers on my hand. The surrounding area was lit by the Purple glow of the energy that coursed through me.

"Why if I have so much energy, am I still in this hole!?"

I yelled as I looked up at the Blue, Pink, and Grey sky that was far above me. The sky was partially obscured from my view from the rocks that partially covered the top of the hole that I had made. A sudden surge of energy raced through my body and before I could even think of moving, I was already out of the hole. Somehow, I had crawled up A large wall that was tall without even having the strength to move just before. I didn't question it though.

"Where am I?"

I growled to myself as I looked around. I seemed to have landed in A mountainous region of the outermost portion of the smallest island in the Archipelago. A strong wind picked up and almost blew me off balance. It was then that I noticed that there was snow on the ground. My host body shivered with the intense cold of the area. I looked around to see mountains that were covered with snow on all sides of me. Oddly enough, the area that I was standing on seemed to be flat… like the Black Mesa Plateau.

"Halt!"

A voice commanded me. I smiled to myself.

"You think that you have the power to command me?"

I asked as I turned with A demonic smile as I looked at who had challenged me. When I saw who had challenged me, my breath caught in my throat. I growled and let the blades come from the spaces between my fingers.

"You...How are you still alive!?"

I yelled as I stabbed my finger at the individual. The individual smiled.

"You were my personal favorite Obsidian"

The individual said as he looked at the ground with A sad smile.

"I always wanted you to be king, but your mother wanted otherwise"

The individual said while he looked at the ground.

"And you let her choose my brother over me!?"

I yelled. I slashed at the figure through the whiteness of the snow that clouded my vision, but my blades went right through him.

"I believe that's what got you exiled from the United Island Archipelago"

The figure said as he looked back up at me. I felt the sweat freeze on my scales as I took a few steps back from this figure to catch my breath.

"And how do you suppose that this would happen?"

I asked angrily. The individual laughed A long hearty laugh.

"As you have accepted me as your leader before, I can make you powerful once more"

The individual started as the wind became stronger and the snow that clouded the area became more intense.

"More powerful than any machine could, and more powerful that your brother; that's what you want, right my son?"

The individual asked with an evil smile as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"That is exactly what I want: Revenge and the Throne"

I replied eagerly.

"Then it's done"

The individual said. I heard the whistling of something right after what was said. Whatever the object was that impacted me hit the side of the head, knocking me out. The last thing I heard before I fell into unconsciousness was A single sentence.

"We got him boss!"

I awoke to be bound by my hands and feet with chains. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they wouldn't move. I also was tired, really tired for some reason. I was lying horizontally with my appendages being prevented from moving by A shell of some sort that restricted my movements. Every time I tried to move, the chains that bound me made metallic clinking sounds that echoed in my head. I was also sore all over. My limbs were numb and it was hard to breathe. I heard footsteps all around me. My Orange and Red eyes partially illuminated the ground I was forced to look at. I had no idea how long I was here, but I knew it had to be at least three days.

_When I get out of here, there's going to be no trace of this place ever existing._

I promised myself. While I told myself that, I heard something drop onto the floor next to me.

"Are you really sure that this is the one you've been looking for?"

A voice said as footsteps resounded through the area. I could not move my head, but I knew the voice.

"What do you think? Just look at how his eyes illuminate the floor in front of him!"

The other voice cried. I laughed to myself. The two individuals walked to the front of the restraint and looked at me.

"What do you think he really is?"

The one on the right asked as the room lit up. This individual was Blue in color and looked to be somewhat athletic. He had Green irises that contrasted with his scale color. The one on the left looked like Venom. His body structure looked like Venom's and he had an eyepatch with A scar over his left eye that shot A Purple ray of light periodically.

"It definitely looks like out target"

The Venom-like figure said to other other individual.

"Let me ask the questions this time, ok Mako?"

The Purple individual asked. Mako saluted him and ran to the device that brought him down here. I heard the strain of ropes as something was lifted off of the ground.

_That has to be a pulley system. _

I told myself. Immediately, I had another thought.

_What use would that be to me to bring down this place?_

I asked myself as I watched the Purple individual take A seat on the ground in front of me.

"Abyss, right?"

The individual asked me. I did not move.

"I know who and what you are"

The individual said evenly. I closed my eyes and the glow disappeared from the floor.

"Is that so?"

I asked the individual. The individual stiffened and sat up straight.

"If you say that you know me, then you should be able to tell me what made me so powerful"

I said opening my eyes again. The glow on the floor returned, lighting the area around the individual that sat before me.

"You would know me if you had paid more attention to me, but that's besides the point"

The individual started to say. I snorted.

"You really think that I would associate with such A weak individual of my species?"

I asked him. The individual got up from his sitting position.

"I also know that you were given an incalculable amount of power from the G.E.N.E.S.I.S, you associate with Bowser and Doctor Ivo, I also know that you killed Reaper and the list goes on"

The individual listed. I shifted my eyes to look up at this individual.

"Then you are Venom"

I said in disbelief. He nodded.

"I'm your only way out of here, so you should at least give me respect for the time being"

He said with an edge in his voice. I only had the strength to give A single nod.

"Do you have any ideas why I'm feeling so weak?"

I asked Venom as he went back to the object that Mako went to not so long ago.

"That there is something that Northwind and Frostbite put together; it's A magic sapping device that was specifically made to contain you"

Venom explained as he sat back down in front of me with A watermelon.

"I suppose that you could open it, right?"

I asked hopefully as he cut A hole in the watermelon.

"That's the problem Abyss; there's only one key that opens this device"

Venom's voice trailed off as he finished the sentence. I looked crossly at him.

"And where would this key be?"

I asked angrily while I watched Venom eat the watermelon that he possessed.

"It's at the overseer's office; it's supposed to be there anyways"

Venom told me with uncertainty. I sighed heavily and my body went limp and I spiraled into unconsciousness once again. When I woke again, it was colder than it was when I first got here.

"It seems that in you're in A bit of A pinch"

A raspy voice said from somewhere in the room. I suddenly went numb all over.

"Who's there? What do you want from me?"

I asked fearfully. I heard A gurgly laugh come from somewhere in the room.

"There's no need to be afraid of the dark unless you're an individual of the light"

The same raspy voice said. No light illuminated the room except for the now faint glow of my irises.

"If you don't want help, I can leave you here to die"

The voice said, but as the sentence came to an end, the voice became lower in pitch. I felt A change of pressure in the room as something started to move in the pitch blackness of the room. It was not far in front of me. It looked like to have A human shape to it, but it was oddly very thin. As the thing came closer, I could see two pinpoints of Red light form in the darkness. The lights were so bright, that they partially illuminated this thing's face. That's all I needed to see before my hopes skyrocketed.

"How did you get here?"

I asked with A weak smile as the thing looked me over.

"What grievances have they brought upon you Abyss?"

The thing asked me as it materialized in front of me once again. I looked down at the ground.

"Apparently they have found my one and only weakness; taking my magic energy away"

I said quietly. The thing floated over me while it looked at the device that kept me stationery.

"I think that I cannot help you at this point"

The thing said from behind me. As soon as the thing finished its sentence, light flashed over me.

"Who or what are you talking to?"

I heard a familiar voice ask me angrily. I heard footsteps come across the floor and I saw Mako stand himself in front of me. He had A torch in his left hand and A sword that was being tightly gripped in his right hand. He held the torch to my face, temporarily blinding me with the flickering Yellow and Orange light.

"You should learn to treat your superiors with respect"

I heard the thing say as the torch that Mako had in his left hand die out suddenly. The room was thrown into complete darkness.

"W-What's going on here?"

I heard him cry out. He dropped the torch on the ground, where it made A metallic clanking sound as it impacted the floor.

"What tricks are you pulling Abyss?"

He asked frantically as he paced around the room.

"It's not what Abyss is doing; It's what i'm about to do"

The thing said as I saw it move right behind Mako, which was to the immediate left of where I was.

"You might want to let me go"

I said softly as I saw two white pinpoints of light appear behind Mako. Mako put his hands on his hips.

"And why's that?"

He asked me sarcastically as I watched the white pinpoints turn from White to Red slowly as the thing brought its fingers close to Mako's neck.

"Because you have only seconds left to change your mind about keeping me here"

I watched Mako burst out into laughter.

"You...think...that's...supposed...to...scare...me?"

he said between hearty laughs that echoed off of the walls.

"That's hilarious Abyss; you should try joking with me more often!"

he mocked me. He then became very still as the thing put its fingers around his neck.

Mako started taking in short and rapid breaths.

"Abyss? What are you doing?"

Mako said with A wavering voice. I smiled as my irises started to glow again.

"It's not what Abyss is going to do, but what I'm going to do"

The thing said as it jerked Mako's head so hard, I heard the cracking of bones as the thing snapped Mako's neck and spinal cord. I watched Mako drop to the floor. He fell right in front me, and I could see how much damage this thing had done to him. I saw blood pooling around his head, but that wasn't the worst part. Somehow, this thing used so much force to break his neck that I saw some parts of the spinal column jutting out of Mako's neck. I only had A second to look at Mako's cold and dead eyes before the thing dragged his body to the opposite wall. The thing materialized in front of me again.

"You want to be free; I can feel your desire to rage"

The thing said as the pinpoints of light turned from Red to White slowly. I let my body go limp again.

"I do, but before you leave, can you at least tell me your name?"

I asked the thing as it started to float away from where I laid.

"My name?"

The thing rasped as it turned halfway to me.

"Refer to me as the Mastermind for now"

The thing said as it disappeared into the blackness of the room once more. I went unconscious once more. As I was still unconscious, I saw the Mastermind breaking Mako's neck over and over and over again in my own mind.

_I've seen death and destruction many times; why am I seeing this being repeated in my mind?_

I asked myself. I was out for some time once again before I woke up to Venom kneeling in front of me with A small bowl. I looked at the liquid inside of the bowl.

"I would like you to take at least some of it Abyss"

Venom said as he raised the bowl to my mouth.

"You know that I don't need any form of nourishment to live, right?"

I told him as I took some of the liquid that was in the bowl. He took the bowl back and put it onto the ground.

"I looked in the office for the key, but I didn't see it"

Venom said with A hint of sadness and anger in his voice. Just then, A horrid smell filled the room.

"That's horrible! What's that smell coming from!?"

Venom said as he put his hand over his nostrils. I tried to resist the urge to tell him, but Venom started looking around before I could say anything. I could tell when he saw what he was looking for when I heard him start to gag.

"Abyss! What have you done!?"

Venom asked in disbelief and fear as he ran back to where I was. I looked up at him.

"How could I have killed Mako if I am bound to this wretched object?"

I asked him as he looked at me with an unamused expression.

"I guess you saw what happened to him"

I said as Venom produced something from his hand. It was A bronze key that shimmered in the light of my irises.

"What does that open?"

I asked as he fidgeted with the key.

"You know that Mako is busy decaying in the corner, right Abyss?"

He asked as he angled my head to see the horror that the Mastermind had done to Mako.

"It's nothing that I haven't seen before"

I said with A little smile. Venom sat on the ground in front of me.

"You realize that with the killing of Mako, that your escape has fallen to a three percent chance of success?"

He told me while he took his hand off of his nostrils.

"You actually did the calculation?"

I laughed. Venom nodded while he looked up.

"What are you looking at?"

I asked as I tried to look up. I heard faint commotion from near the top of the building.

"It's probably the guards fighting over rations again"

Venom sighed. I looked at the ground again.

"You might want to leave now Venom"

I told him as I felt A huge wave of numbness course over me. Venom looked at me worriedly.

"Just don't kill anyone else ok?"

He asked me as he ran over to the lifting device. I heard the strain of the ropes as he hurriedly brought himself up. I partially saw the glow of the Devil Symbol as it glowed its evil Purple color. It illuminated the area around me with the color. The energy that coursed through me caused me to yank my arms up from the restraints that bound me. The metal rings that chained me to the floor snapped and I could stand upright now. I bent down to take off the restraints that chained my legs to the floor, but they snapped from the rapid muscle growth that was taking place. I stumbled while took my first steps, but I was able to walk. The shell was still on me, so I flexed my shoulders and the shell splintered into pieces. I could feel the pull of the Devil Gene. It wanted to influence my actions.

"No place can contain me!"

I screamed at the ceiling. The scream echoed off of the walls. I saw Venom look over the side of the wall with A bewildered expression.

"Sound the alarm!"

I heard Venom cry as multi-colored flames licked the edge of my mouth. I could feel the heat they generated as I looked at the ground all around me. I opened my mouth and A jet of fire erupted from my mouth. I made A circle with the fire around the room so that the fire could climb up the walls. Loud bells sounded all around me, causing my vision swim with the noise that they generated. I heard the pounding of feet as an innumerable amount of individuals lined all of the open spaces around me. I put my arms out at my sides.

"Have any of you not realized what you have incurred onto yourselves?"

I asked the individuals through the wavering heat of the flames. Their bodies wavered in the heat of the flames. Venom dropped to the ground in front of me.

"Remember what I told you"

He told me as he got into A fighting stance. I took A step back.

"Venom, I'm not going to fight you"

I told him, but he didn't move.

"Let them have it Abyss"

He said with A smile as he moved to my side.

"May whoever has mercy on their souls keep them"

I heard Venom sigh to himself as he readied his golden spears. He started to throw them as I launched from the ground with the cracking of stone and dust as I unfurled my wings. I noticed the some minor bones in my left wing were broken, but it didn't bother me. I burst through the top of the building and into the blizzard that numbed my host body. I suspended myself in the air while the Devil Gene took over. The symbol sparked and I saw two orbs of light form on both palms of my hands. The orbs grew larger in size until they were about the size of bowling balls. The one on the right pulsed as it grew darker in color. The one on the left was purple in color and had small orbs of light that flaked the inside of the orb. I smashed the orbs together and the one on the left stuck to the one on my right hand. I hurled the orb down at the building that contained me for some time. As soon as let go of the orb, it grew to an enormous size that sent chills colder that the blizzard that raged all around me. I watched the orb grow larger as it barreled towards the building. Then, without A thought of doing so, I materialized DeathBringers and watched them fire their streams of Anti-Matter. The orb and the streams hit the building at the same time, and the whole complex exploded into rocks, dust, smoke and bodies as the explosion rocked the land with its impact. I let myself drop to the ground, and for some reason, the Devil Gene was still not satisfied with the carnage I had created. I watched the ground around me as I walked. I saw the splintered wood, rocks, and mutilated bodies that were still steaming from the Anti-Matter that ate away their bodies. The building was now A shallow hole that looked like A scar in the landscape. I peered over the edge of where the building once stood. The fire that I had started had climbed over the wall and started to burn whatever it could find. I could hear individuals moaning in pain as I searched for Venom. I walked down the spiral staircase as I felt changes take over my body. I heard the cracking of my bones as they re-arranged themselves or fixed themselves as I walked. I could feel the spikes that lined my back become longer and spikes start to come from my shoulder blades as well. By the time I had reached the bottom of the stairs, I had grown in height and felt immense pain all over my body.

"Venom?"

I called, but there was no answer. It was then I had noticed that my voice had changed. It had changed from my normal deep voice, to A demonic one that sent waves of fear and numbness over my body.I heard from the other side of where I stood something odd. I walked through the burning remains of the floor to see Venom against the wall, next to where the burning body of Mako was.

"Happy to see me?"

I asked Venom as I took him from where he was sitting, to drape him over my shoulder. I coiled the muscles in my legs and took off into the air. While I sailed through the air, my wings snapped open and I maneuvered myself so that I landed on the edge of edge of where this building once stood. I set Venom on the ground. His eyes were closed and he took ragged, short breaths.

"Are you ok Venom?"

I asked as Venom moaned softly.

"P-please"

He said softly. I put my huge hand on his shoulder.

"I'm right here Venom; you're safe"

I reassured him while I looked around. I could see nothing but destruction for as long as the land spread all around me.

"Don't hurt me"

A voice came from behind me. The voice asked with so much fear, that I had to see who or what asked for my mercy. I turned around to see A fully grown individual of my species that was of A dark Blue color. He was shaking with what I assumed to be fear.

"You might want to get lost before you end up like everyone here!"

I raged. The Purple glow around me turned to A Red color. As the individual ran off screaming, I looked to the sky. It was fully day now, but the cold and the snow had not receded. A extremely low growl escaped from my throat. I felt another course of energy flow through my body as I turned to see if Venom was still on the ground. When I saw that he was fine, I looked back up at the sky. I could faintly see the outline of what looked like to be A red box with wings against the Black and cloudy sky.

"Our job here is finished; let's go Venom"

I said as I turned to see Venom standing next to me. What was odd about this was the fact that Venom seemed to be just fine. He was not limping or holding any of his appendages in pain.

"What are we standing around here for if we're gonna go?"

I heard Venom ask me as I hurled another orb towards the object that I saw.

"Now we can go"

I said with finality as I turned to walk away from the carnage that I had created. I walked until sunset. It was difficult traversing the terrain that the mountain possessed, and the environment changed from cold and snowy, to A warm and humid area of this island that was close to the shoreline. That was when I came across A village.

"I know this place"

Venom told me when we stood in front of the gate that led into the village.

"It's unpleasant that every time we get where we need to be, there's something that hinders our progress!"

I shouted. Venom winced.

"Now Abyss, there's no need t-"

Venom started to say as I drew my right arm back. From the corner of my eye, I was able to see Venom bury his face in his hands as I punched through the lock that kept these gates closed.

"What's there no need to do now?"

I asked him as I tore the gate off of its hinge. The gate crashed to the ground and I walked into the village.

"Your ruler is among you!"

I announced to the village. Individuals that were walking stopped walking, individuals that were buying, trading, or selling stopped and looked at me, doors and windows opened and everyone looked at me. Some started to tremble, some started to recede into any corners that were available, some fainted upon looking at me, and some started to cry. I took A few steps inside the village. It was then I noticed that Venom was not at my side.

"Venom?"

I called. Venom walked from outside the broken gates and stood himself in front of me.

"Whatever happened to causing peaceful entries?"

He asked me as the village erupted into chaos. Individuals screamed in terror, cried in terror, and ran to hide. I looked down at Venom.

"You want to question me after I saved you?"

I asked with an evil smile. Venom looked at the ground.

"I thought so"

I said with finality as I walked to the center of the village. The center of the village was marked with A structure that looked very similar to the CourtHouse. A bolt of lightning struck from the sky and I started feeling numb all over. I did not pay attention to it; my main objective right now was to figure out where I was and how I could take control of this place.

"Knock Knock!"

I said loudly as I tore the door of the place that looked like the CourtHouse off of its hinges. The door clattered to ground behind me as I walked through the door into this building.

_How was I able to fit through the door?_

I asked myself as I looked around. To the immediate left of me, I could see A large desk that took up half of the left side of the room. On the desk, there were papers, Quill pens, maps, A globe, and A small hourglass. Seeing nothing of interest, I looked to the right side of the room. That's where the interesting things were. Here, there were more individuals of my species. They cowered in the corner of the room. There were four of them: one Red, one Blue, one Brown, and one Grey. I made my way across the room and stood in front of them.

"Can any one of you tell me where I am?

I asked the individuals politely. They all looked at each other and then back at me. I started tapping my foot impatiently. The Grey individual was the first to speak.

"What do you want from us? Why do you torture us like this?"

He whined. I smiled to myself.

"You have no idea what torture is"

I sneered. I raised my right foot and stomped on the ground so hard, the Black lighting chains crawled across the floor.

"Now can you tell me where I am!?"

I raged. All of the individuals in the room with me winced and cowered closer into the corner. I walked over to where they were cowering and selected the Red one. I grabbed him by his neck and held him in the air.

"Start talking; otherwise, I'm going to see how easy it is to break his neck"

I said as I shook the individual in front of the cowering individuals. They looked up at me in pure fear. Two of them had tears streaming down their cheeks.

"You are currently on the Geology and Petrology District; the smallest and most wealthy of all the districts in the Archipelago"

The Blue one said through sobs. I looked up at the individual that I held into the air. I couldn't feel A pulse from his neck, but I didn't care. I dropped the individual unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Thank you so much for your cooperation; I won't let it go to waste"

I said with A laugh while I walked out of the building. It looked like a ghost town now. No one seemed to be anywhere near here. That what I thought at least.

"Abyss!"

Someone screamed at me. I turned with an evil smile on my face to see who it was.

"How dare you address me like that!"

I seethed as I looked at an individual of my species that looked A lot like me.

"Your tyranny stops here Abyss"

The individual stated as she snapped her wings open to their full length.

"And who might you be?"

I asked as I did the same thing as this individual had done just now.

"Why don't you tell me before I have to beat it out of you?"

The individual said with A crazy grin as she returned her wings to their folded position on her back.

"Your words bore me, but as for your arrogance, it fits you"

I replied as I brought my wings to be folded on my back. Suddenly, I remembered something.

_There was A legend that sometimes DNA mutations would occur within an egg. These mutations would sometimes have the ancient Dragon Gene in them that would cause the unborn child to be A half-dragon, half-yoshi hybrid which we would call a Rex._

"My people refer to me as Cynder; which is what i'm going to burn you to when I'm finished with you"

She said with a venomous sneer. She got into the traditional fighting stance. As she did this, her eyes flashed green for A second. I crossed my arms in front of me.

"Ha! You think that you can match my power?"

I asked her as I saw two shimmering lines form in her clenched fists as she stared me down. I shook my head.

"Do you have any idea what I just did to your little outpost up on the mountain?"

I asked her with an evil smile. Cynder flinched and looked up at the top of the mountain momentarily. She whipped her head to look back at me.

"What did you do!?"

She raged as she threw one of the shimmering objects at me. I stood there with my arms crossed in front of me until just before the shimmering object impaled my chest. I grabbed the shimmering object and looked up. Cynder was in the air. I could feel the air that was being displaced by her wings. I saw a fireball form in her right hand.

"Tell me what you did to those poor individuals!"

She raged as she started hurling fireballs at me. The fireballs rained down on me. Every time one was about to hit me, I casually took A step in an availible direction to avoid the attack. It did not take Cynder long to land back on the ground in fatigue.

"It seems that you have more skill than I previously thought"

I taunted as I materialized DeathBringers around me. Cynder took in huge gales of air as she looked at the ground.

"And it seems that you've gotten faster and stronger"

She growled as she looked up at me from where she standing. When she saw the DeathBringers, she gasped.

"How did you?"

She started as I held up my right arm with the palm facing upwards.

"I don't think that you could dodge these"

I said with an evil sneer as I brought my arm down. As my arm went down, the DeathBringers fired their shots. Cynder went through some quick hand motions and an orb of Green color formed around her. The streams hit all of their marks and they exploded into thick smoke that was littered with embers that smoldered as they fell to the ground. My eyes illuminated the smoke as I tried to see if my attack was successful. As the smoke cleared, I saw the Green orb that was around Cynder had disappeared.

"It's going to take A little bit more than that to damage me"

She said in a taunting manner with A wink. I growled to myself and launched into the air. I readied something that I had not used before. I felt pressure build against my chest as the internal pressure of the attack I was about to use as it gradually increased with every beat of my wings. I felt my mouth grow hot as flames licked the edges of my mouth.

"I'm going to give you one last chance Cynder!"

I yelled to the ground. Every word I spoke resulted in bits of embers coming from my mouth. The flames were not multi-colored like they were once before, but they were now Blue. I saw Cynder look up at me. Her eyes burned into mine as she narrowed them to look at me.

"You really think that fire is going to scare me?"

She asked as she launched into the air.

"Go ahead; do your absolute worst"

She taunted me as she leveled herself with me in the air. Our wingbeats created A cloud of dust each time they went through A complete stroke. I smiled to myself.

"I will then"

I said to myself as I let the pressure of the flames go. I opened my mouth and an unbelievably large and wide jet of fire erupted from my mouth. Cynder changed her position to go under the blast. She rocketed towards me through the air. I flew down to the ground and looked up just in time to see Cynder throwing shimmering spears at me. I dodged all of the spears and the last one, I caught. The others that I didn't catch, stuck in the ground and slowly disintegrated into sparkling dust. I spun the spear in my hand and Cynder landed on the ground across from me. Most of the town was now burning in Blue flames. I could hear the crackling of wood and tree sap as these things burned.

I crossed my arms in front of me again.

"It seems that you're in A bit of a situation here Cynder"

I said evilly. Cynder glared at me with A venomous stare.

"You're really going to do this Abyss?"

She asked me with A heavy sigh. I sneered.

"It's my job to kill, steal, and destroy until I get what I want"

I stated while I stretched absently. Cynder cracked her knuckles and materialized A Green glowing spear in her right hand.

"You have two choices that I see right now Cynder"

I said with an evil smile. Cynder growled.

"Save your people, or save yourself"

I said with A shrug. Cynder slowly opened her hand and the spear dropped to the ground. I heard individuals screaming and crying out for help.

"It seems that you've made your choice; I hope it's the right one"

I said with A laugh as I walked right past Cynder. Cynder made no move to hurt me in any way.

_It's just as I suspected; Females of our species have such compassion and care for others that they would sacrifice themselves to help others in need._

I thought as I walked down to the beach. I heard Venom running to catch up to me. I didn't even need to turn my head to know that it was him.

"Where have you been?"

I asked him over my shoulder. Venom slid to A halt in the sand.

"I heard that there was some… Commotion"

His voice trailed off as he looked back at the wreckage that I had created.

"It wasn't anything to marvel at really"

I said with A yawn.

Suddenly I had an intriguing thought.

_What is the possibility of putting Emperor into A position of so much personal and mental unrest that he is lost between two bad choices?_

I thought at I glanced at the burning village. Venom shifted uneasily.

"What's wrong with you Venom?"

I asked with another yawn. Venom looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I'm just wondering about something; it's nothing much really"

He said with A monotonous tone. I scoffed.

"I can tell that you're scared or unsure about something. Just tell me what you're thinking about"

I said to Venom with annoyance in my voice. Venom looked off into the sea with me.

"I'm just unsure what's going to happen now"

He said with fear in his voice. I turned to look at him and I narrowed my eyes.

"What exactly are you trying to say Venom?"

I asked with A hint of anger in my voice. Venom twitched and just stared back at me absently.

"Is it not clear Abyss?"

Venom asked me. I crossed my arms in front of me.

"What's unclear to me is how we're going to get where we need to be next"

I said as he turned back to the sparkling water.


	16. Chapter 15 (Errors In Judgement)

Chapter 15 Errors in judgement

Lemon's P.O.V

"Why can't I find the necessary things when I need them the most?"

I asked myself as I tested my new invention. I looked through the file boxes for the technical specifications for this device.

"Where is that thing?"

I asked myself as I found the technical specifications section of my documents. I was tempted to dump all of the technical files onto the floor so I could search through them systematically, but something kept me from doing that. Instead, I thought about NightShade.

_I have no idea why, but for some reason, I feel that there's A part that's been missing from all of our lives since the death of him._

I thought to myself as I carried the box to the steel table that was in the center of the lab. I set the box onto the table and continued looking through the files. I sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling.

" I have no idea how I could be so organized, but not able to find things when I need them"

I told the ceiling. It was then that I noticed that there were wires that were hanging from the ceiling.

"I don't remember taking apart the wiring in these lights"

I told myself nervously as I turned my attention back to the box. Somehow, the file that I needed was next to the box. It had been found and taken from its place and had been placed next to the box.

_There's no explanation for this occurring naturally. There has to be some other force at play here._

I thought to myself as I opened the file. From the beginning of my life, I had wondered about the single star that our planet orbited around. I wondered how the star had lasted so long, how the energy of the star could cross the vast expanse of space to our planet and not lose too much energy before hitting our planet. I sighed again and looked at the plans for my next project.

"This one does not seem to hold much complexity to it"

I told myself as I studied the diagram. The diagram was drawn by Halcyon and the heading of this paper described this object as A "Solar Energy Capturing Device"

"I wonder what is bringing me to build this device?"

I asked myself as I went into the storage room where all of my technical supplies were. I was about to open the door to the storage room when all the lights went off in the lab.

"That's just absolutely fantastic"

I growled to myself as I fumbled for the generator switch that would turn all the lights on. Then I heard scrabbling sounds start. They resounded loudly in the room as I continued bumping into objects like desks, chairs and the metal shelves that held my file boxes. As I looked for the switch in the dark, I saw two pinpoints of light form in the darkness. I stopped moving and watched the lights move. They left white trails as they moved.

"Is anyone there?"

I asked in fear. I found that the temperature in the room had dropped significantly. I knew that the temperature in my lab was kept at sixty degrees constantly. This was to ensure that all of the DNA samples and animals that I kept in my lab would not die. I searched along the wall for the switch when A voice started to speak to me.

"You're very peculiar aren't you?"

The voice rasped. I froze in fear. I quieted my breathing and slowed my breaths. The pinpoints of light stopped moving and focused on something in my direction.

"I don't see anything that would make you want to target me"

I said with A wavering voice. The pinpoints of light disappeared and A gurgling laugh went through the room.

"Do you honestly think that you can hide yourself from me?"

The voice asked as the pinpoints of light materialized right in front of me. I yelped in fear and I felt something cold go across my neck.

"I may not have the patience to ask, but I'm going to ask anyways"

The voice said. I could not see anything that these pinpoints of light were attached or part of in the darkness of the room. I felt fear and anxiety build in me as these pinpoints of light turned from White to Red.

"I can tell that you're not normal Lemon"

The voice stated. I gasped when whatever was speaking said my name.

"How do you know my name?"

I asked angrily. The voice laughed sinisterly.

"You are in no place to be asking questions right now"

The voice stated as the room temperature continued to drop. I reached down into my left boot for the knife I kept in it, but the voice spoke again.

"I would advise not trying to cause any inconvenience to me; I hold your life in my hand right now"

The voice said. I froze once again.

"You're the one who intruded on my space you know"

I said with some annoyance. The voice laughed again.

"Just tell me what you really are and I'll leave"

The voice stated coldly. I slowly stood back up. I then noticed that my back was against the wall.

"Why do you need to know?"

I asked as I tried to move along the wall, but I was unable to. Whatever this thing was with the creepy and raspy voice that possessed changing pinpoints of light scared me.

"I am the one asking the questions here. Now tell me what I need to know, or else you are going to end up like Mako"

The voice said. I was sincerely scared now. The voice had changed to A really deep pitched growl that made waves of numbness go all over my body.

"I… I'm only half of what I'm supposed to be"

I said slowly. The voice wasted no time trying to find more answers.

"Elaborate"

The voice commanded me.

"I could have killed you many times over by now"

The voice stated. I felt dizzy now and I had to constantly adjust my my standing position to stay upright.

"Then why haven't you killed me?"

I asked the thing as it's eyes turned back to the White color it had been.

"I am resisting the urge to kill you because I feel that you're going to be somewhat important in my master plan"

The voice responded.

"If you're going to delay me like this, I have no choice but to confirm my suspicions in my own manner"

The voice said with annoyance once again.

I_f I can delay whatever this is A little while longer, then help can arrive. Rojo is going to be here sometime soon to discuss A New weapon possibility with me, but I can't let him find me here!_

I thought wildly as I saw the White pinpoints of light flicker for A moment and then disappear.

"Phew; that was close"

I told myself when I felt something touch my chest.

"I really don't think that the yoshi species has Tungsten for bones"

The voice rasped from the other side of the room. I heard the switch click as the lights in the lab flickered to life. I shut my eyes and rubbed them from the bright light that they were emitting. When I opened my eyes, my breath caught in my throat. On the other side of the room, was something that looked like it had come from one of my nightmares. It was tall, extremely thin, and had a nightmarish face. I opened my mouth to scream in fear, but no noise came from my mouth. The thing laughed again and pointed at me with one of its ridiculously long fingers.

"I also don't think that it's natural to have A steel jaw and no heart"

The thing said. It was then that I noticed the face of this thing. It had extremely large eyes that had white pinpoints of light in the direct center of them. There were lines of Purple color that went down to the thing's mouth, which had three rows of teeth that looked extremely sharp. The mouth was curved up at the sides in A demonic smile that sent more waves of fear up and down my back. Then there was the smell. It was indescribably terrible and it made my eyes water.

"I know what you are Lemon"

The thing stated as it returned to its original standing state. I got off of the wall and felt my claws emerge from the tips of my fingers.

"You might want to take your leave now… whatever you are"

I said tensely, but that was A mistake.

"I will then, but only after I do this"

The thing said as it pointed at me once again. From the tip of this thing's finger, came A beam of light that hit my chest. The beam did not hurt me on contact, but it was cold.

"I hope you realize what errors you have made in your current judgements"

The thing said as it turned away from me to let out A demonical gurgling laugh that chilled me to the core of my body.

"Let this be A lesson for you Lemon"

The thing said as it vanished from my sight. It disappeared in the blink of my eye. While I contemplated what this thing could've been, I started feeling pain all over my body.

"This is odd"

I told myself as the claws that had come from my fingertips stayed in place. They had not retracted for some reason. I walked to the chair that was next to my computer desk. I flopped onto it and looked at my computer. The monitor was off and I could see my face. I gasped and nearly fell off the chair when I saw my face. I now knew what had happened. My eyes had gone completely white and had little words appearing at different locations while the rest of my body flashed different colors. I also noticed that my reaction time had gone up exponentially and that my senses had been extremely elevated.

"W-what's h-happening t-to m-me?"

I unintentionally stuttered as I stared at myself in the screen of the computer. My voice had changed too. It sounded like A malfunctioning voice system that had hints of tinkling glass in it. I looked around wildly for something that would help my current condition, but I found nothing.

"W-w-hy i-is-t-there n-noth-ing t-that c-can help m-me!?"

I screamed as my gaze settled on the teleporter on the other side of the room. I reached out for it, and the wires in the ceiling wrapped themselves around my fingers. I got up from the chair and I took wobbly and unbalanced steps towards the teleporter.

"I HaVe To FinD SomEonE ThaT CaN HElp Me"

I said to myself as A wave of pain caused me to fall on the floor right in front of the teleporter. I laid on the ground for A few seconds to catch my breath and to wait for the pain to pass. I then pushed myself up from the ground and stood on top of the teleporter. I had not calibrated the teleporter for some time, so I had no idea where I was going to end up. I held my breath and I closed my eyes as the blinding White color filled my vision for A moment. When I opened my eyes, I was in A place that was hot and humid. I took in some air and I started to cough heavily.

"W-Where A-am I?"

I asked myself as I waited for the blinking lights to depart from my vision. I heard screaming and the steady crackling of something. When I opened my eyes, I saw A nightmare had unfolded right in front of my eyes. There were burning buildings, individuals that lined the streets with damage all over their bodies, and damage everywhere. It was hard to make out the conversations through the panicked cries that rang throughout the area. I looked for anyone that I knew. It was scary to see all the destruction that had occurred who knows how long ago.

"You there!"

I heard a voice say. I looked wildly around me to see what exactly was calling my name. I had to turn around to see who it was, but when I saw who was calling me, I was elated.

"C-caPtaIn R-ro-Jo!"

I cried, but he stood at A distance away from me.

"What in tarnation?"

Rojo asked himself as I felt the wires that tightly bound themselves to my hands start to unravel themselves from my fingers. They started slithering around my neck and shoulders as I gazed at Rojo. He slowly took his sword off of his back.

"I have no idea what you are or how you know my name, but if you're the one responsible for this damage, I have no choice but to destroy you"

Rojo said slowly as he got into the sword stance. I could tell that he was fatigued by the way his arms shook slightly as he held his Heavy Sword.

"I-Am n-nOt h-hEre T-to F-iGhT yOu"

I said as uncontrollable twitches took over my body. I saw Rojo narrow his eyes and his grip on the sword's hilt tighten.

"If you're going to hinder my goal of saving innocent lives that are at stake here, I have no choice but to destroy you… whatever you are"

Rojo said as he took off running towards me. Somehow, I was able to calculate his running speed, his pulse, and his next move, all in one second. When Rojo was close to me, he swung his sword up to hit the bottom of my jaw, but I was somehow teleported behind Rojo. he resetted from the swing and jabbed behind him with the hilt of the sword. With the amazing reflexes of this body, I was able to catch the hilt of the sword and when I touched the sword, it started to disintegrate. Rojo rolled forward and turned his head to look at me.

"Why are you doing this?"

He asked me as I started materializing DeathBringers somehow. I was able to look quickly at these DeathBringers before I had to Dodge Rojo's next attack. I thought about how these DeathBringers looked as Rojo readied his powerful RoundHouse Kick.

_I have not seen DeathBringers such as these._

I thought to myself as I ducked Rojo's kick. As Rojo readied his next attack, I took some time to mentally study these DeathBringers.

_These DeathBringers are Black in color with Blue lines all across them. Their eyes were Yellow in iris color and the same small words pop in and out of their vicinity as they were suspended in the air. They are also controlled by the same wires that are on my hands. Another thing that's interesting is that these DeathBringers fire shots that are White in color and have Red words in the energy that they expel._

I thought about this as I saw Rojo try A spinning uppercut to try and hit me. I teleported behind Rojo once again and I put my hand with the palm facing the ground. This made the DeathBringer that was above me fire its shot. I watched the stream disintegrate the ground in front of me. Just before the stream hit the ground, Rojo rolled to the left and threw something at me.

_I like these DeathBringers_

I thought to myself As Rojo stood across from me. He was taking in great amounts of air.

"If you truly are who you say you are, then prove it!"

Rojo said in the spaces between his breaths. Another wave of pain swept over me. My vision clouded with words for A moment and I fell to my knees. High pitch ringing resounded in my ears as I heard someone run to my side. Gravel crunched as the individual ran. I was only able to make out A blurred figure come to my side before I blacked out. I woke to the sound of sharpening metal.

"What's going on?"

I said quietly as I lifted my head from where I was laying. I rubbed my eyes and looked around. The pain had passed and I could see where I was now. I was not taken far from where I had passed out. From the window I was next to, I could see the exact place where I had passed out. I could hear nervous pacing from A corner of the room.

"It seems that you're awake"

I heard a voice say.

"That is my current state, what is it to you?"

I asked whoever was pacing. I waited for my vision to clear and when I saw who was addressing me, I sighed happily.

"Oh...hello Rojo"

I said quietly. Rojo stopped pacing and looked at me.

"I'm not very sure what just happened, but this is the only place I could take you"

He started, but I held up my hand.

"Rojo, it's fine"

I said. My voice was hoarse and I felt the soreness of my body as it sent chills up and down my back.

"I was only acting out of instinct Lemon; I had no idea what I was fighting…"

Rojo's voice trailed off as he started pacing again. The floor creaked with his steps. I stood up and stretched to relieve my sore muscles.

"Why are you pacing like that Rojo?"

I asked him while he paced.

"I have a lot to figure out Lemon"

He said tensely. He stopped pacing and looked out the window.

"I have only one question for you"

He said as I heard the sharpening sounds start again. My breath caught in my throat.

"What's your question Rojo?"

I managed to say just as Rojo sighed.

"What are you really Lemon?"

He asked as he turned to look at me. It was then I could see Rojo's anger and fear in his eyes. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen Rojo like this. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I cleared my voice and tried again.

"Rojo, I'm just the same as you are; there's no difference between us"

I said nervously with my voice wavering. Rojo sighed and stomped his foot on the ground so hard, all of the furniture in the room was lifted off of the floor for about A second.

"This is the kind of answer that makes only more questions!"

He yelled. I flinched and took A step back in fear.

"Are you ok Rojo?"

I asked in fear as Rojo returned his gaze to the window.

"I am not ok Lemon; I failed my team and the United Island Archipelago!"

He raged as he balled his hands into fists. I could see his hands shaking with the pure rage that ran through his body.

_Should I go comfort him?_

I asked myself as I saw Rojo's head drop in what looked like to be disdain. I walked over to Rojo and put my hand on his shoulder. This caused Rojo to look at me.

"Rojo, sometimes you can't be prepared for everything"

I said reassuringly. He looked back at the floor.

"Then what explains the lost lives that we can never get back?"

Rojo asked angrily. He sighed again.

"Much like I said, you can't be ready for everything. You are not the reason that innocent lives were lost"

I said soothingly.

"Then who was responsible for taking those innocent lives?"

Rojo asked angrily. I took my hand off of his shoulder and I angled his head up at me.

"It wasn't you that killed them Rojo, It was Abyss"

I stated. Rojo resumed his standing posture.

"I guess it would come to no surprise to you that I know that you're half machine, right?"

Rojo said. My eyes widened in fear. I grabbed Rojo by his shoulders.

"How do you know this!?"

I demanded. Rojo took A step back so my arms dropped to my sides.

"You may not like the reason how I know"

Rojo said slowly.

"I don't care how you know, just tell me how you know!"

I exploded. Rojo flinched.

"You remember the thing that was talking to you in the lab while the lights were dark?"

Rojo asked me. I nodded slightly.

"Do you also remember when the voice said that it knew that you had tungsten for bones and A steel jaw?"

He continued. I had no choice but to nod again. I was concerned and nervous beyond belief now.

_What is going to happen is my secret is revealed to the public? What's going to happen if the enemy figures out what I am? How many people know what I am already?_

These thoughts ran wildly through my mind as I gazed back at Rojo.

"You could say that I put the pieces together to come to my conclusion"

He said with an ominous tone. Rojo crossed his arms in front of him.

"There's no need to tell me untruths Lemon; it's these untruths that get individuals killed and secrets revealed"

He continued. I sighed and let some tears fall to the ground.

"I am indeed half machine Rojo"

I sobbed as I fell to my knees. I looked through bleary eyes at the wooden floor beneath me as I sobbed. I heard Rojo come to my side and put his arm on my shoulder.

"Why did you keep this hidden from everyone Lemon?"

He asked me as I continued sobbing.

"I felt that if I told you that I was this way, that everyone wouldn't trust me anymore"

I said through sobs. I looked back up at Rojo through bleary eyes, causing more tears to fall to the ground.

"I understand you reasoning Lemon, but it's information like this that could make the difference between progress or hinderance"

Rojo told me reassuringly as he helped me off the ground. I rubbed the tears from my eyes and I looked at Rojo again. He seemed so much different now.

_Does Rojo always get like this when he helps those that are in need of help?_

I thought to myself as he started to walk out of the room. As Rojo was about to walk out of the door, he stopped and looked back at me.

"You're welcome to join the rest of us downstairs if you want to Lemon"

Rojo said softly as he disappeared through the doorway. I stood in the room by myself trying to figure out what my next action was going to be. I had just told Rojo what I was! Deciding that I had no purpose in this room, I walked over to the door and walked through the door that was strangely left open. I walked down the stairs and emerged into what seemed like A war room. The High Council Members were present, along with Emperor and Halcyon. They were all huddled around A table that had a map over the top of it. At various points, one of them would point at A location on the map, or stick A pointed object into A specific part of the map. I walked past the huddled team around the table. I was about to sneak out, but as I reached out to turn the handle of the door to return to my lab, NorthWind noticed me.

"What are you doing Lemon?"

She called to me. I flinched as she called my name. All of the individuals at the table turned their gazes to me. I looked over my shoulder nervously.

"I was about to take A walk, what is it to you?"

I said evenly. Venom sighed.

"If you don't want to take part in the next battle that's fine, just don't get yourself into trouble, ok?"

Venom said tensely as he turned back to the table. The others took their gazes from me and set them back against the table. I turned back to the door and walked through the door, opening and closing it made me feel like I was walking not through A doorway, but it felt like I was going through A change that would affect me for the rest of my life. I had slept for almost the entirety of A night. The sun was rising over the mountains, giving light to our land once again. I looked around at the town. I could smell smoke and minute traces of burning wood. I didn't hear cries or moans of pain. I walked around the town trying to clear my head.

I was not able to figure out what had happened.

_If whatever this was had changed me, and not for the better, what exactly am I going to do?_

I asked myself as I watched individuals of my species building their houses once again as I walked around the town.

"Why must everything rest so much on me?"

I asked myself as I found myself at the edge of A beach.

"At least you don't have to deal with the Devil"

A voice said from behind me. I quickly looked over my shoulder to see Emperor walking at a fast pace to catch up to me. He stopped close to me and held out something that was wrapped in what seemed to be silk.

"Rojo wanted me to give it to you. He thought you would be hungry"

He said as he tossed me whatever was in the silk. I caught the thing wrapped in silk and opened it. There were assorted dried fruits that were of many colors. I didn't feel hungry, but I didn't want to make Rojo feel bad that I didn't eat them.

"What are you doing here Emperor, shouldn't you be back with the others planning your battles?"

I asked him as he stood beside me. Emperor looked off into the water.

"I'm here for the same reason you are"

He replied quietly as he stretched his arms. My breathing slowed some and I felt fear and sadness well up in me.

"Do you know too Emperor?"

I asked while I sat in the sand. I sighed and looked at Emperor who had just taken A place next to me in the sand.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Lemon"

He sighed as he sat in the sand. I looked at him.

"Do you think that if I told you what I told Rojo, would you believe me?"

I asked Emperor. He flinched and took his gaze from the sea to settle on my gaze.

"What reason would I have not to trust you?"

He replied happily. For A second, I thought I saw some anger and apprehension go across his eyes, but it didn't bother me, so I looked away from Emperor.

"Would you still keep your trust in me if I told you that I was only half of what I am?"

I asked Emperor as I turned back to him. He looked at me in an inquisitive manner.

"You've already seen the Devil Gene within me Lemon; there's no need to be afraid."

He told me quietly. I was silent and still.

"You can tell me anything that you want; it will be my secret"

He told me with a serious tone in his voice. I looked around to see if anyone else was around, but just as the sun rose over mountains, light flooded over everything. I shut my eyes momentarily and sighed again.

"I'm half machine Emperor"

I said quietly and slowly. He flinched.

"I told you that you might be in disbelief"

I said quietly. Emperor got up from his place in the sand. He brushed himself off and stretched again.

"I'm not upset or nervous Lemon"

Emperor stated as he put his hand out to help me up from my place in sand.

"Thanks"

I said as I got up from the ground with Emperor's assistance. Emperor looked off into the sea again.

"Who or what are you more concerned about Emperor?"

I asked as Emperor suddenly gripped his left shoulder tightly.

"I'm afraid of Halcyon to be completely honest"

Emperor stated quietly. For some reason, he had A strained voice that seemed to have traces of pain in it.

"I'll be fine; don't worry about me"

Emperor blurted before I could act. He looked me in my eyes.

"I think we both share deep secrets that nobody should know about, so how about we keep these secrets and put our differences aside for now?"

Emperor asked me as he made his way to the building that we were both in not so long ago. I wasted no time catching up to him. I didn't want to be by myself anymore. I did feel A little bit better since I had told Emperor about some of the secrets behind my true being. Emperor was walking at a fast pace, taking long strides even for walking. When I caught up to him, he glanced at me.

"Do you think that you could kill the Devil Gene that currently resides in my body?"

He asked me outright. This caused me to stumble. Before I could fall, Emperor put out his arm and he caught me.

"There's A difference between falling and tripping you know"

Emperor said jokingly as he helped me back to my original stance.

"Thanks Emperor"

I replied graciously. Emperor smiled.

"It's great to help others in need isn't it?"

He asked me as we started to walk again. It didn't take long for us to reach the building that were were in not long ago. Emperor opened the door and held it open for me. He motioned with his hand for me to go first.

"Thank you Emperor"

I said kindly as I walked through the door. Emperor followed behind me and walked back to the table. All the individuals that I knew were still there. When the door opened, they looked up.

"Hey Rojo?"

I heard Marine whisper to him.

"Wonder what they were doing out there by themselves?"

He asked me directly. I felt my face grow hot.

"That is nowhere close to what we were trying to accomplish Marine"

I told him as I sat down next to NorthWind at the table. Suddenly, A wave of anger swept over me.

"You might want to recover your mind from wherever it is before you get yourself into trouble"

I said angrily. Lime started to chuckle.

"I also think that Marine here might be liking another individual at this table"

Lime said with A wink. Everyone looked at Marine, who now sat still.

"How about it Marine?"

Rose asked from the other side of the table. All the others at the table leaned in and looked at Marine, resting their heads on their hands with their elbows propped on the tabletop.

"Why don't you tell us how you feel about Northwind?"

Mercury asked with a huge smile on his face. The others nodded in agreement. Then, Emperor growled next to me.

"Is this really who I'm dealing with at this point; A bunch of children!?"

He raged. Most of the individuals at the table flinched and Rojo got up from the table.

"I respect your authority Emperor, but I felt that the conversation was relevant"

Rojo said quietly as he saluted him. Emperor sat down on the chair next to me. He produced a sharp object from his hand and jammed the object into the table in the middle of the Administrative District on the map. This reaction caused some of the individuals at the table to gasp and some to sit still. Halcyon just gazed coldly at Emperor. From the corner of my eye, I saw the Reborn curled on the wall.

"Of all the things I ask for, why is it so hard to come up with A simple strategy!?"

He yelled. Everyone went silent. I heard Rojo leave the room and go out the front door.

"Does anyone here have anything to say?"

Emperor sighed as he buried his head in his hands. I watched all of the individuals at the table exchanged worried glances as their gazes settled back on Emperor, who was looking at the ceiling.

"I have something to say"

Halcyon said as he got up from his chair. The others took their gazes off of Emperor and turned them to Halcyon, who was pointing at Emperor.

"What was your role in this situation?"

He asked as he stabbed his finger at Emperor. I saw Lime reach for Tempest.

"My next question is this: why are you upset at us when you did nothing to help?"

He asked him angrily. Emperor sprang up from his chair.

"How dare you you accuse me of such an act!"

He yelled as he put out his hand. The Reborn shuddered and rattled on the wall for A second before it flew through the air and positioned itself in Emperor's hand.

"Everyone, enough!'

A voice shouted over all the craziness in the room. I whipped around to see who had stopped the tension in the room.

"Cynder?"

Everyone asked in unison as I followed Cynder as she stepped through the door and into the room. She walked to stand by me and she put her hands on her hips.

"Why is it every time I leave, all of you try to kill each other!?"

She raged. No one moved. I could see DeathBringers pointed at everyone else that could use them. I saw Lime Had Tempest pointed at Halcyon, and Rose had tipped metal bars in her hands ready to throw them, while Dart hissed on her shoulder. Dart's back was arched and I could see A clear liquid that was running down the lizard's spines.

"Here's the point I'm causing here"

Cynder started as she materialized Fireballs in both of her hands. The area around her glowed with the light of the fireballs.

"The only one that is going to be disciplining anyone around here is me; got it?"

Cynder stated. Everyone looked at Cynder and back to each other. Rose shrugged and took her seat again. Dart stopped hissing and curled up on her shoulder, and slowly but surely, everyone sat down and the DeathBringers and weapons were put away.

"That's more like it; now what is it that we were attending to before this incident?"

Cynder inquired as she put out the fireballs in her hand and sat down beside Emperor.


	17. Chapter 16 (Reflections)

Chapter 16 Reflections

Rojo's P.O.V

As I walked through the door, I felt intense anger and hatred well up in me. These emotions I rarely ever felt.

_I had made so much progress in my career that I should be feeling accomplished!_

I scolded myself as I found myself as the base of A mountain.

"Huh"

I laughed to myself. I could see A bright shimmering light at the top of the mountain.

"I have to find out what that is"

I told myself as I started to climb the mountain. As I scaled it, the air became thinner, the temperature became colder, and the dexterity of my fingers became less evident. I reached for the last rock that would show me what exactly this shimmering light was.

"Almost there"

I told myself in A strained voice as I pulled myself over the last rock. I was extremely tired by the time I pulled myself over that rock. It was about midday, but I knew the temperature at the peak of this mountain was deceiving. There was no traces of A raging blizzard like there usually was, but I needed to find what was causing the shimmering light.

"You'll never find them"

A voice said. I whipped around to see if there was someone behind me, or to the side of me, or up above me, but there was no one around.

"Show yourself!"

I demanded. The voice laughed.

"Such bad manners for an army Captain"

The voice mockingly scolded me. I growled to myself and felt for A weapon on my back, but there wasn't any. I was about to reach into my boot for my knife when something narrowly missed my head. I rolled forward and shifted so that I could see who or what I was fighting. It took A couple seconds for my eyes to adjust to the light, but when I saw who it was, my jaw dropped.

"No... It's not possible!"

I said in disbelief. I was staring at an individual who should've been dead.

"What kind of magic is this?"

I demanded as I stood up to my full height and took the knife out of my mouth.

"There's no magic here my dear Captain Rojo"

The figure said with A laugh. The figure then turned around and pointed to A flat area that was not too far from here.

"You're going there I presume?"

The figure asked me without turning to look at me. I nodded slightly.

"You're not going to find anything there, it's all buried under the snow"

The individual said somewhat solemnly. I wanted to stand next to this individual, but I didn't know if this was A trap.

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

I asked apprehensively as the figure looked at me over his shoulder.

"I'm sure that you could trust the ghost of A stranger, couldn't you?"

The individual asked me as I walked over to him and stood myself next to him

"I could trust anyone, but the ones I really trust are my true friends and the family I have left"

I said with annoyance and anger. The individual laughed.

"I thought you had pledged your allegiance to the king"

The individual asked with the same amount of apprehension that I now had. He turned his head to look at me.

"You remember that day, right Rojo?"

He asked me. I sighed and stood at attention.

"There are A lot of days that pass, so which one am I to remember?"

I asked him. The individual snorted.

"Don't try to be smart with me Rojo"

He demanded, but said or did nothing.

"The day of the invasion Rojo!"

He said with exasperation, the the individual sighed.

"I thought you were smarter than this"

He sighed as I took an easier stance.

"For being the father of Halcyon, you don't seem to be very professional either"

I said angrily. The individual next to me opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

"You should enact the things you teach others"

I told him, but he laughed.

"Are you here to unload all of your anger on me, or are you here to find out what you're really here for?"

He asked me. I felt cold chills run up my spine.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

I asked him as he turned his head back to the flat space between the mountains.

"What I'm trying to say is that you may be looking for the right answers in the wrong places"

He said as I stopped maintaining my attention stance and started to walk to the space between the mountains.

"Why would I listen to you after you abandoned not only the island, but your wife as well!?"

I yelled as I stopped walking and turned to him once again. I saw anger and surprise cross this individual's face.

"Measure your words Rojo; they might come back to haunt you later"

He said as A gust of wind swept over the area, turning his body into golden sparkles that were swept away with the wind. I sighed again as I turned to look at the area I was walking in to.

"What did he mean by choose your words carefully?"

I asked myself as I found myself standing in the middle of the flat area, but then, I suddenly felt like I didn't belong here anymore. More chills went up and down my back along with some numbness in both of my arms as I saw something duck behind A wall of ice. I couldn't see through the ice because it was covered with fresh snow.

"Who goes there?"

I called as I got into my fighting stance. For some reason, I didn't feel like I was being threatened. Suddenly, something shot up from the ground right in front of where I was standing. Whatever shot out of the ground in front of was very hot. I rolled backward and resetted in time to see someone duck behind a wall of ice somewhere behind the rising water. The water rose high into the sky, but before the water could fall to the ground, it would crystallize into ice shards that made tinkling sounds as they fell to the ground. The water continued to spout for about ten seconds before the wall of water receded back into the ground.

"Superheated volcanic springs; I love them"

I heard the individual say as I finally saw who it was.

"What are you doing here?"

I asked this individual as I got back into A more civilized stance.

"I thought it would be A good idea to take A walk in the mountains after seeing the tensions rise in the war room"

Frostbite replied as I noticed rings of water forming around her wrists and neck.

"Is that natural?"

I asked as they fully materialized. She nodded slightly.

"It's A precaution I take just in case anything happens"

She said as she looked behind her for some reason.

"I think that you're emotionally torn about something Rojo"

She started as she turned back to me. Her irises glowed A deep Blue as the sun shone brighter in the sky. She walked to the edge of where the water had made A hole in the ground and sat down. She then beckoned me with A handwave. I walked to where she sat and I sat down next to her.

"I want to talk about your past Rojo"

She stated as she looked at my shoulder. I looked too just to see if anything was there.

"Ice is forming between your scales Rojo, are you sure you're going to be ok for the duration of our speech?"

She asked me as I used my nail to chip away some of the ice absently. She snapped her fingers and I shook my head.

"What do you wish to ask?"

I replied as I looked down into the hole. Furious bubbling sounds came from somewhere beneath the hole.

"What's driving you Rojo?"

She asked as she put her hand on my shoulder. I flinched and looked at her.

"What do you mean? I'm doing what I can when I can"

I replied quickly. She sighed.

"That's the problem exactly; you work too much, you need A break!"

She exclaimed as she took her hand off of my shoulder.

"If I take A single day off, things fall apart!"

I growled as I looked up to the sky. Clouds were coming, and they didn't give the impression that they were bringing anything good.

"So?"

Frostbite pressed. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"What's driving me is my fear; I've already let down multitudes of my own!"

I said quietly. Frostbite patted my shoulder.

"I've let down people too! Even I have injured people carrying out dangerous magic experiments"

Her voice trailed off as she looked up to the sky too. The wind had started to pick up and snow started to cloud my vision.

"Hey Frostbite?"

I started. She turned her gaze from the sky to my gaze.

"What is it Rojo?"

She replied ominously.

"What do you know about illusion magic?"

I asked outright. Frostbite flinched.

"Why would you want to know?"

She asked fearfully for some reason.

"It's due to the fact that I may have seen Halcyon's father just now"

I said as I got up from the side of the hole I was sitting on. Frostbite sprang up from her place.

"Are you sure that's what you saw?"

She asked with A serious tone. I nodded slightly.

"If that's what you saw, we have A huge problem on our hands!"

She exclaimed fearfully. I took A thoughtful stance.

"Why is this A bad situation?"

I asked, but as soon as I asked that Frostbite buried her face in her hands and growled to herself.

"Do you realize what's going to happen if Abyss gets ahold of the power that lies in that individual?"

She asked as the Blue in her irises faded. Another wave of numbness swept over me.

"I had no idea what I was seeing was real Frostbite"

I tried to say, but she cut me off.

"Halcyon's father was the ruler of these island chains before Emperor was you know"

She said as she went through some hand motions. When she finished the hand motions, the rings of water had turned to pure ice. It was pure and transparent.

"I also do believe that you know what his name is too Rojo"

She said quietly as A spear of ice appeared in her right hand. I started taking short breaths.

"What are you doing Frostbite?"

I asked fearfully as she turned her back to me.

"I wanna test something Rojo"

She said as she whipped around and threw the spear at me. I had to no time to react, but my hands moved themselves and I felt extreme heat all around me for A brief moment. I waited for something to impale my chest and the extreme pain that came with impalement, but it never came. I waited A couple of seconds, with my heavy breathing being the only sound that I could hear.

"It's just as I thought"

I heard Frostbite declare as I opened my eyes again. I could smell something burning as I heard applause resound near me as I closed my eyes from the extreme amount of light reflecting around me.

"So you do have the Fire Element residing in you!"

I heard A new voice exclaim. I opened my eyes again and waited as they adjusted to the light around me.

"You are correct Frostbite: I never thought he would be the one"

I heard the now familiar voice say with A laugh.

"Is that you NorthWind?"

I asked as I tried to focus my eyes.

"I also overheard that you're having some trouble with your grievances Captain"

She said as she stood herself next to me.

"Yeah, I have some, what's it to you?"

I replied with annoyance. Frostbite scoffed.

"He just doesn't want to admit he has problems"

NorthWind whispered to her.

"I can hear both of you"

I said evenly as I rolled my eyes.

"You never cease to amaze me Rojo"

Frostbite said happily. She looked at me crossly then.

"If you don't want to take help from those who are offering it, then why do we try to help you?"

She looked at me, but I felt the question was directed towards NorthWind. I looked at the ground for A moment to try and come up with something, but I didn't find anything to say.

"I was taught by my Captain that being alone and fending for yourself is the best way to be"

I said as I looked up to find only NorthWind. She was looking at me inquisitively.

"What was the name of your army Captain?"

She asked me as she continued to hold her stance.

"It was another Red individual by the name of Caliente"

I replied solemnly. NorthWind shifted uneasily.

"You seem to be in A state of unrest when I asked about him, what happened to him if I may ask?"

She asked me while A burning sensation crawled across my body.

"My previous army captain was not male to start off"

I started.

"And I really don't want to discuss it!"

I ended sharply. Frostbite laughed.

"Was that her name really?"

She said between her laughs. I growled to myself.

"Would you still find it hilarious if I told you she died because of me?"

I stated angrily. Frostbite became silent and still.

"I'm sorry Rojo, I had no idea that it was that way"

She said softly. The burning sensation had grown more potent now.

"Now back to the thing you were saying; why am I feeling this burning sensation?"

I asked her as she looked up to the sky. It had grown dark and the temperature was dropping even more, but I didn't feel cold.

"You're the Fire Element; we've concluded this already haven't we?"

Frostbite asked with A hint of annoyance.

"I understand that, but what does that mean for me?"

I asked with A minute trace of fear. I saw Frostbite think for A moment and snap her fingers when she had stopped thinking.

"It's been A while, but I think that I remember what that means for the one who possesses the power!"

She said with excitement. I just stood in place watching her get all excited. I didn't know why she was suddenly excited, but the nervousness came back, and this time, it was stronger.

"I'm sorry Frostbite, but I don't think that we are welcome here anymore"

I said nervously. Frostbite looked at me with interest.

"And what would be your reasoning for that statement?"

She asked as my attention was caught by something that was moving under the snow, not far from where she was standing.

"I think your reason is right there"

I said nervously as I pointed to the thing that was slowly emerging from the snow. Frostbite turned quickly and only looked momentarily at the thing that was halfway out of the snow. She fainted as the thing emerged completely from the snow.

"Frostbite!"

I cried as I sprang forward from my place and caught her just as she was about to hit the ground. Needless to say, she was out cold. I checked for A pulse, and when I found that there was one, I laid her on the ground and looked at the thing that stood hunched over not too far from me. Whatever this thing was, it was hideous, but the body fragments looked familiar to me.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

I asked the thing as it brought its head up to look at me. Parts of scales and skin were missing in large chunks on both of its legs and I could see bones where the chunks of skin were missing. The monster was missing its left arm and I could see the socket where the arm bone connected to the shoulder bone. The monster was also missing one side of its midsection, but the head of this thing was the most chilling. This thing possessed large fangs that went all the way from its upper jaw to the lower jaw of this thing. The left eye of this thing was missing, but in its place was A large glowing orb that was black in color. There were no wings or horns on this thing, but it looked like it meant business. I could not help the fact that I thought that I've seen this individual before. The burning sensation was overwhelming now. I looked up to the sky and opened my mouth in A yell that shook the ground all around me. As I opened my mouth, A huge jet of fire erupted from my mouth and went into the sky, where it dissipated. I also looked through A vision that was brighter in color. The monster looked at me with its one eye. It smiled nightmarishly and laughed. It was A nightmarish laugh that caused bits of something to fall out of the bottom of its lower jaw. It was then that I noticed it was missing all of the skin that was supposed to cover the lower jaw.

"You might want to watch what you try to do; you may regret your actions… whatever you are"

I told the monster as it looked behind itself. I looked past the monster to see more of these nightmare-inducing creatures coming out of the ground. I tore my gaze from the creatures to see if Frostbite was still near me. When I looked, I found no trace of her except for the outline that she left in the snow.

"I'm gonna destroy all of you!"

I raged as I noticed that all of the area around was very bright and that the snow was melting. I ran forward and launched A powerful uppercut that sent the head of this monster off of its neck. I watched the body stagger A few steps back and fall to the ground, where it disintegrated into A Purple goo.

"I won't stop until the area is razed!"

I told myself as I felt something crawl across my back. Without wanting to, I raised my hand to the sky with the palm facing upwards.

"Raging Fire Destruction!"

I shouted as the symbols of Red and Orange color started to circle around me on the ground. I watched as the ground all around me glow and Angry Red and Orange color as I slammed my palm on the ground. As I did that, streams of fire erupted from the ground all around me. I watched the monsters disintegrate in the fire that raged all around me. I let out A long maniacal laugh that resounded all around me as the fire continued streaming from the ground. When I had stopped laughing, the flat area around me was scarred with smoldering lines that looked similar to this

激しい火災破壊. I couldn't see any more of those monsters, but I couldn't shake the fact that I felt even more unwelcome now. I was also tired too. Really, really tired. I fell to my knees from the amount of tiredness that weighed over my shoulders. My vision swayed and my eyes started to shut. I gave in to the sleep that weighed in my eyes and I fell to the ground. When I woke up, I was still where I was originally, but somehow I had been flipped over to be on my back. I opened my eyes to see the High Council Members, Emperor, Lemon, and Venom.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty"

Venom said sarcastically as he held out his hand to help me up.

"What happened?"

I asked myself as I took his hand and got up. I brushed myself off and looked at the individuals who stood before me. I didn't feel the waves of heat crawling over my body, but I could smell the unmistakable smell of smoke and fire.

"That's what we would like to know"

Halcyon stated as he looked around at the carnage. I looked at my arms and noticed something odd. There were black lines that ran between my scales all the way down to the start of my nails.

"Are you responsible for the damages here Rojo?"

Rose asked me as Dart peeked around Rose's neck to look at me. The lizard cocked its head to the left and looked at me.

"I don't know if any of you understand what exactly just went on here, but all I know is that I defended myself from monsters"

I stated as I started to feel dizzy.

"Monsters? Hilarious!"

Lime bursted out laughing, but Rose lifted her arm and smacked Lime on the back of his head.

"Let him speak you idiot!"

She hissed as he rubbed the back of his head. Dart almost fell off of her shoulder and the lizard protested by causing an odd squeaking sound. Rose turned her gaze back to me.

"So what was it exactly that you saw?"

She asked me as Halcyon looked me over.

"Maybe it has something to do with these lines that you have Rojo"

Halcyon said expectantly while Rose continued to stare me down.

"What I saw was… nightmarish to say the least"

I breathed. Halcyon stopped looking at my arms and returned to stand with the others.

"Where's NorthWind?"

Mercury asked as he looked around. The others nodded.

"As I was saying, I had to defend myself against what seemed to be undead individuals of my species"

I said more strongly now. I seemed to had lost my breath at some point between my last statement and now for some reason. When I had finished Halcyon looked disturbed.

"Are you sure that's indeed what happened?"

He asked me as I looked around.

"I had to fight them Halcyon! What more proof do you need!?"

I shouted as I turned back to him. I felt heat course over my hands and I saw flickering lights from the corner of my eyes as Halcyon looked inquisitively at me.

"When did you learn to do that?"

He asked me as I saw the gazes of the High Council and Venom look at my hands, which were on fire.

"I...I…"

I tried to say what I wanted, but the words wouldn't come out. I looked at everyone who was looking at me and my breath caught in my throat.

"Maybe he learned it from somewhere else and he's not telling us"

Rose said with A hint of anger in her voice.

"Maybe he's spending extra time with NorthWind"

Venom said with A wink. The others laughed except for Halcyon, who kept looking at me with interest.

"Why would he be able to do that only now?"

I heard him whisper to himself.

"Whatever the reason may be, there's only one thing we have to do now"

Rose said as she turned her back to me.

"I agree with Rose; let's get down from this heap of rock and talk about it where we don't freeze"

Venom said jokingly as the rest of them turned away from me except for Venom, Frostbite and Emperor. The rest started causing their way down the mountain, while Venom and Frostbite stayed, along with Emperor.

"Are you ok Rojo?"

Venom asked me as Frostbite started looking for NorthWind.

"I honestly don't know what to say at this point Venom"

I sighed. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"I know that you're going through A lot lately, but I'm sure that you could get through it"

He said reassuringly as he took his hand off of my shoulder and went to help Frostbite find NorthWind.

"What's happening to me?"

I asked myself.

"First Emperor gets evil put in him, then Abyss steals the Anti-Matter-Core, then I'm taken over by the Fire Element!"

I ranted to myself. I forced myself to stop and take some breaths to slow my heart rate and my thoughts. I needed clarity of mind to understand my situation and to help find ways to make the best of this. I looked at the land I had destroyed. I felt Emperor put his hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't we talk A walk Rojo?"

He asked me while I looked up at the sky. It had stopped snowing and all I could see was ashes and embers that popped in and out of their intense Orange color.

"Oh, sure Emperor"

I said absently as I started to walk. Emperor kept pace with me with ease as I took my normal strides.

"What was that all about?"

I asked him when I had steadied my pace.

"We were busy planning our next move when Venom saw A column of fire erupt from the top of this mountain"

Emperor said between his breaths as he walked with me.

"Interesting, but that didn't answer my question"

I said as we slowed our pace.

"What is your question then?"

Emperor said with annoyance.

"My question is this: what is the Fire Element?"

I asked as we stopped near the edge of A cliff. Emperor looked over the edge.

"Long way down, don't you think?"

He asked me as he looked back up at the Black clouds that continued to roll over our heads.

"It's pretty far"

I admitted as I looked behind me.

"Don't you feel like you're being watched Emperor?"

I asked him as I looked over the ridge.

"I always know I'm being watched by my mother"

Emperor stated.

"That's not what I mean"

I replied anxiously as I took my gaze off of the jagged rocks that were far below us. Emperor turned to me.

"What exactly do you mean then?"

He asked while I looked around.

"I'm talking in relation to your Devil Gene"

I stated flatly. Emperor stopped looking around and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why are you referring to it?"

He asked tensely as he looked at the Black lines that went from my shoulders to my nails.

"I'm referring to it because I may have what you have Emperor"

I said quietly as I saw him shift uneasily.

"What would make you say that?"

He asked me as he looked past me for some reason.

"Duck"

He commanded me.

"Why?"

I asked quickly. Emperor hissed.

"Don't question me, just do it!"

He yelled. I threw myself to the ground just as A stream of energy passed over my head. I watched Emperor put his arms in an X block stance. The energy hit him and the area around us exploded into smoke. The smoke was very thick and I could only see Emperor's glowing eyes through the smoke.

"If you're going to try to kill me, you're going to have to try harder than that!"

I heard Emperor call as the smoke started to clear. I coughed as I tried to see who was on the other side of the smoke, but whatever this was, it was too dark to be seen through the smoke.

"There's A reason for everything isn't there?"

A familiar voice asked. I saw A shadow walk through the smoke as It cleared. It had the outline of A normal yoshi, but the eyes were not normal, as they were circular in pupil and iris shape.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

Emperor asked tensely as I got up from the ground and got into my standard fighting stance.

"Have you ever heard of the phrase ghost of A stranger?"

The voice asked as the smoke had completely dissipated from our view. I now could see who had fired the shot at us.

"It's nice to see what has become of my son"

The individual said sarcastically. Emperor growled.

"What are you talking about?"

He asked angrily. I heard some cracking sounds as the individual stood in place. I tried to figure out where these cracking sounds were coming from when the individual spoke again.

"It's also interesting to see the ghost of A stranger"

Emperor countered. The individual laughed.

"I think I also remember that my son said why are you looking for the answers when they are already in front of you?"

He said as Halcyon appeared next to this individual. Emperor and I gasped in shock.

"There's also much that you don't understand Emperor; it would be wise to follow those who have lived longer than you have"

The individual said as the individual flickered and then disappeared from our view. I then heard shouts in the distance. Acting upon my impulse, I tore away from Emperor and Halcyon to find the source of the shouts. I ran all the way back to the area that I had destroyed without tiring. As I got closer to the shouts, I could make out what was being said.

"We found her!"

A voice cried.

"You need to confirm it!"

A second voice said as loud as the first voice. These voices were coming from the other side of the flat and scarred landscape that I had destroyed. I launched from where I was standing and ran with renewed energy, somehow faster than before. I ran around the corner and found something interesting.

"What are you doing!?"

I Angrily asked them as I ran around the bend and slid to A halt. The two individuals looked at me fearfully. And they dropped someone on the ground as they ran off, but they stopped when they figured out that there was no way out. A huge wall of ice kept them from escaping.

"Now that I have A chance to talk to you, I'd like to ask some questions"

I declared as I heard someone stand himself next to me.

"I'll be the one asking the questions here Rojo"

Emperor stated as he pushed past me.

"I was here first Emperor; these ones are mine"

I said with annoyance as I pushed past Emperor. I got into my fighting stance.

"I'm the one with the higher stature here!"

Emperor said as he pushed past me and materialized DeathBringers.

"How about we give them what for together?"

I asked him with A smile as I pushed past him so that I could get into my fighting stance. Emperor didn't push past me this time, but he stood next to me as I felt the DeathBringers push against my back.

"What kind of sorcery is this?"

The first individual asked. He was light Blue in color and seemed to be under the control of something, as he was twitching uncontrollably. The one next to this individual looked at lot like Venom for some reason. I looked at the individual on the ground.

"NorthWind!"

I whispered to myself.

"Rojo, Run!"

Emperor said as he fell to his knees.

"But Emperor"

I started. Emperor looked up at me and I winced when I saw what was happening. The Devil Symbol on his arms was glowing Black and Purple and was emitting Red sparks. His eyes were now fully Black with White irises. His bones were becoming A little bit larger and denser and horns were starting to sprout from his head. Sickening cracking sounds echoed off of the walls.

"Go! Now!'

He rasped. As Black started to cover his scales. He moaned softly as I took off running. The moan turned to A demonic roar as I ran around the bend and looked in time just to see A column of Fire and Red lighting bolts fall from the sky exactly where he stood. I ran until I could see the flat area that I had razed.

_What's going to happen? What took over Emperor? What am I going to do? Who should I tell about what's going on?_

These thoughts ran through my head as A streak of Red lightning cut the ground in front of me. I jumped back in fear as the ground sizzled in front of me.

"I just hope whoever is on the receiving end of this new Emperor turns out ok"

I said to the empty area around me. As I continued running, I wondered what exactly was going on with Emperor. He had told me that he was fighting for control with something.

_What exactly was he fighting and why?_

I asked myself as I found the pass that led to the town. It was A long ways from here; if I didn't get to the others in time, what would happen to Emperor?.

"I have to warn the others before it's too late"

I told myself as I ran into the pass. I used all of my energy to run, but the further away I got from the area, the worse I felt. I ran through the passes, looking at the various forms of ice and rocks as I ran. I felt the air become heavier as I neared the bottom. As I neared the bottom, I tripped and fell onto some jagged rocks. I slid across these jagged rocks and came to A halt as the base of the trail that started at the bottom of the mountain. I tried to call out for help, but I couldn't. I tried to move, but the pain was unbearable. I felt my consciousness slipping away.

_I can't let go like this_

I told myself. I tried moving again, but the results were the same as before.

My only hope now rests on the chance that somebody would find me here

I told myself as I tried to stay awake. I was running on pure adrenaline now. I had no idea how long I would be able to stay conscious. I all I knew is that I was in immense pain.

How long do I have left?

I thought as I slipped fully into unconsciousness. The pain started to subside.

Am I really going to die here?

I asked myself as I felt myself being lifted somehow.

"You're sure that this is the one we're looking for?"

I heard A voice ask.

"Who else looks like he does?"

Another voice answered. That's the last I heard before I lost all of my senses to unconsciousness.


	18. Chapter 17 (The Evil Within)

Chapter 17 The Evil Within

(Evil) Emperor's P.O.V

After Rojo left the Area, I jumped into the air. I was starting to feel like I was no longer myself. I had the urge to destroy everything within my sight. Especially those who would cross my path. I opened my mouth and a thin stream of lightning sprang from my mouth in the direction that Rojo went. As the laser came from my mouth, A huge wave of pain swept over my head, causing me to drop back to the ground and put my left hand on my head. I swayed from the pain that kept washing over me.

"You're in my way!"

I growled. The individuals that were near the sheet of ice were standing openmouthed in what seemed to be awe and fear, but I didn't care. They were in my way and I needed them destroyed.

"We need to get out of here!"

The Blue one said fearfully. He took off running, but that's when my vision returned. I straightened my arm and held out my hand with the palm facing this individual. A pulse came from my hand that sent the individual flying back through the air. He slammed into the sheet of ice that they had tried to escape through. The other individual looked at me.

"What's gotten into you Emperor!?"

He asked me. I ignored the question and stood sideways with my feet parallel to each other. I then put my arm up in front of me and made what looked like to be a cover with my left hand. With my right hand, I made a fist that was positioned right behind that cover hand. A small Black pulsating orb formed between them and I pulled my arms back while I was in this stance.

"You'll regret crossing me"

I seethed as I heard electrical charging sounds. The pulsing orb exploded and I rocketed forward. I felt my hand that was clenched into A fist go numb with electricity as I traveled. The individual that had addressed me was the first one to receive my wrath. My fist impacted his chest and it caved in on impact. I heard the crunching of bones as my rage started to build. My fist went all the way through his body and into the wall of ice behind him.

"W-H-how?"

These were the only words that the individual could say as I ripped my fist from his chest. As I took my fist out of his chest, I noticed that I had A single forward-facing spike that was rooted into the top of my hand before my fingers. I took A few steps back and the individual fell to the ground in front of me. I turned around so that I could walk...somewhere where I could find powerful people. I was fed up with associating with weaklings; I needed more power, but I didn't know where to find it. I walked past the individual that looked similar to Venom. He looked at me with an expression of fear and anger. For some reason I stopped.

"I can sense great power within you; Fight me!"

I said as I turned quickly and stomped the ground with my right foot. It was placed in front of my left foot. The individual looked at me with An interesting expression. It was somewhere between fear and inquisitiveness.

"Why do you want me to fight you?"

The individual asked me. I smiled.

"I want to because this weakling over here that's staining my ground with his blood gave me no entertainment whatsoever"

I said. When I finished this sentence, A maniacal laugh escaped my throat. My wings snapped open without me telling them to. I bolted forward and grabbed this individual by his neck and I launched into the air. I used my right arm to do this while my left arm did nothing. I jumped over the wall of ice that signified the bend and I snapped my wings shut as I started to fall to the ground. Right before I hit the ground, I jerked this individual's head forward. It hit the ice hard and I felt him go out cold upon the impact. Sparks and Blackish-Red lightning bolts crawled around my arms as I picked him up by his neck. I couldn't sense any pulse or breathing.

"What's the matter?"

I started as the individual moaned softly and struggled very faintly against my grasp.

"Are you dead already?"

I asked as I brought my arm back and tossed him far away from me.

"Is there anyone who has as much power as I do!?"

I screamed to the sky. Thunder roared in the distance. Purple lighting chains crawled across the clouds above me. I opened my wings again and launched into the sky. I wanted death and destruction. I wanted to see misery and hate and I wanted everything to be under my control. I sailed into the clouds. I knew exactly where I was going to go and what I was going to do. It did not take me long to find the place I was going to go. I descended quickly through the clouds and landed within something that I knew of too well.

"This will mark the beginning of my destruction!"

I announced to the city of trees that stood rooted in the ground before me. I closed my eyes momentarily. It was then that A wave of pain coursed over me and I saw A line cut through the trees. Some of them exploded and some caught fire.

"Yes, yes!"

I started.

"This is the power and destruction that I've been waiting for so long!"

I screamed to the sky as I continued razing the land around me. I wanted nothing to stand before me when I was done with this pitiful area. I felt heat welling up in my chest. I knew this was the key to destroying everything. This was the legend that was passed down from generations. It was called Black Fire. it was something that I needed now. I let the fire come from my mouth. I watched the flames spring forward from my mouth. The flames were Black indeed. They seemed to be devoid of everything, and I liked it, A lot. I laughed to myself as I looked at the destruction all around me. I smiled.

"This is what I was meant to do!"

I screamed to the burning land around me. My scream echoed of off the trees as I turned my gaze to something odd. An individual stood across from me with his arms crossed.

"Well, well, well"

The individual started. I turned fully to face this individual.

"Are you going to be the next one to feel my wrath?"

I asked this individual as I narrowed my eyes.

"How can you expect to make me feel your wrath after you've given into the evil that resides in John?"

The individual asked as I held out my hand. An orb of Red color that seemed to be charging itself with Black lighting formed around my outstretched hand.

"You may not understand"

I started. The individual looked at me in surprise.

"I have taken full control of this new energy!"

I said as I extended my arms out to their fullest on both sides of me. I then smiled, which caused this individual to take A step back in fear.

"If you haven't given into the Evil, then you should be able to decide what your actions are"

The individual said as it disappeared into the smoke that was rising all around me. I then heard footsteps pounding the ground somewhere near me. I quickly turned to all the available sides to see what was causing this noise. I turned to the correct side in time to see someone jump over the wall of fire and stand before me.

"You have done enough, your damage stops here Abyss!"

The individual said as she got up from her kneeling stance. She then looked at me.

"Wait… you're not Abyss"

She said nervously as I gave her A smile.

"That's right. I'm not Abyss; I'm much more powerful and dangerous than he is"

I stated as I opened my wings to their fullest. I then could see who it was that had dared to challenge my power. She looked similar to me, as she had wings and looked to be very strong. She didn't have horns like I did, but I did notice the magic energy that she emanated.

"If you're not Abyss, who are you then?"

She asked me as I saw her make A magic spear of Blue color in her hand. I put my hand on my forehead and shook my head.

"You have no idea who I am?"

I asked as I saw the individual threw the spear at me. I shrugged and just as the spear was about to hit me, I caught it and snapped the spear in half with two fingers.

"I have many names, but the one you're going to experience is Death"

I said as another smile creeped across my face. The individual looked at me with narrowed eyes for a second before the anger in her eyes changed to fear.

"No... It can't be!"

She exclaimed softly as I heard more cracking sounds resound in the area.

"W-What happened to you Emperor?"

The individual asked me as I felt more energy coursing into me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

I stated plainly.

"All I know is that I am the Emperor of Darkness, and you are going to be the rug under my feet when I'm done with you"

I said as I fired another laser that was aimed directly at this individual. She rolled to the left and dodged the fired laser. The wave of pain that was associated with this laser swept over me and I shook my head to get rid of the dizziness that clouded my vision.

"I know you can fight this Emperor"

The individual started as she materialized an orb of Green color in her left palm.

"Don't you understand pitiful dinosaur?"

I asker her as the energy around my hands shone more brightly.

"Your king is gone now! He's been lost to my control!"

I said as I slammed my open palm into the ground.

"If you desire your life, I would recommend leaving within the next few moments"

I said with an evil grin as I started the most powerful attack that I could.

"Cross Inferno Destruction!"

I yelled as A Black tornado that was made of fire started to form around me. I stood up from the ground, but I was still hunched over for some reason. Another laugh escaped from my mouth as I saw the twister explode into Black flames that started to devour everything around me. I finished laughing and looked across from where I was standing. I was expecting to see the burning remains of my challenger, but when I looked, my breath caught in my throat.

"How!?"

I said nervously as the individual brushed some ashes off of her scales.

"Elemental magic is nice, but knowing how they stack up against foes is even better"

She said as got back into her stance. I growled.

"How far are you willing to push yourself to beat me?"

I asked as I glared at this individual. She laughed.

"At this pace, all you'll be doing is giving me energy"

She sighed as she threw the Green orb at me. I caught the orb in my right hand and crushed it.

"Was that supposed to scare me?"

I asked with another growl. She laughed again .

"It wasn't supposed to scare you, but what you just did made my fight against you A lot easier"

She explained. Unfortunately, she was right. Somehow, I was forced to stay in the same area of land that I was currently occupying. I was not able to move. All I could do was turn to the right and left sides of me.

"What have you done to me!?"

I raged as I saw large boulders and pieces of trees being lifted from the ground. It was then that I could see more individuals appearing behind this...powerful individual.

"It's not just what i'm going to do"

She started as the others that appeared behind her took their respective places beside her. She looked to the others and they looked at her and all of them nodded together in unison.

"It's not just what I'm going to do"

She started again.

"It's what we're going to do!"

The others said in unison as they all started materializing their respective weapons in their hands.

"No, this isn't possible!"

I breathed to myself.

"You don't have enough power to destroy me!"

I yelled as I tried to fight the magic that was keeping me captive. I strained with all of my power, but nothing happened. The others looked at me with expressions of fear, but they didn't make it known in their stances.

"We may not have enough power to destroy you, but we know how to keep you contained"

A light Blue individual one said as she walked from her place in the line with the one who was attempting to fight me. They walked from their places in line to stand in front of me.

"Stop being cowards and free me from this spell!"

I seethed as they look at me.

"This is not the Emperor I know"

The light Blue one said nervously. I laughed to myself.

"You're absolutely right; the Emperor you know is gone!"

I seethed. The one that looked like me on the other side of the light Blue individual sighed.

"I know you're in there somewhere Emperor, keep fighting this evil"

She urged me. The other individuals formed A circle around me.

"I'm gonna try to help him"

The one that looked like me stated.

"I need you guys to help contain him if he tries to escape"

She finished. The others nodded. The light Blue individual took A place in the circle. My attention turned back to the one that was left in front of me.

"All of your hope is lost! Stop trying to find him because he's no more"

I said as she looked me in my eyes. Her irises glowed A Green color. It was then that I had A burning sensation start to crawl across me. Then, right after that, unbearable pain started to course through my body. I started to groan with the pain, but I couldn't take my gaze off of the one who was standing before me. As I looked into her eyes, I could see another individual that looked like me, except it was different.

"Is it working Cynder?"

One of them asked. I was dizzy now. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"It seems to be working Rose. he's shaking like A tree in the breeze"

The one in front of me replied tensely.

_Cynder huh? I'll make her like one when i'm done here_

I told myself as I felt myself swaying.

"You're not going to win against me"

I rasped.

"Everything falls sooner or later, even you Cynder"

I said with A wheezing laugh. I saw the others next to Cynder exchange worried glances.

"Shall I do the honors?"

Rose asked. My vision was becoming hazy now.

"By all means, go right ahead. Maybe it'll shut him up for A while!"

Cynder hissed. As soon as she replied to Rose, I saw her go around me. I heard her stretch.

"Just remember you're the one who couldn't fight me without keeping me restrained"

I wheezed as I felt something impact the side of my head. The impact sent unbearable shockwaves of pain all over my body.

"Nice...Try"

Was all I could say before I crumpled to the ground and blacked out. When I woke up, I found myself bound at my arms and feet with chains.

"What's the meaning of this?!"

I seethed. I was blindfolded as well. I heard footsteps approach me.

"He's awake guys"

I heard someone say. I heard shuffling of of soft material as more footsteps approached me.

"Untie me at once!"

I raged as I strained against the chains. I heard the metallic clinking of them as I strained. I heard someone chuckle.

"He really doesn't go down without fighting fully does he?"

I heard another voice say as I was lifted from the ground.

"Remember when you're dealing with this kind of thing to make sure nobody else is around"

Another voice said as I swayed with the motions of the individuals that were carrying me.

"I know NorthWind, I'm not stupid"

I heard another voice say with annoyance. I laughed to myself.

"Maybe you are and you just don't want to admit it"

I said to myself. I was then dropped onto the floor.

"Ouch!"

I seethed as I impacted the floor.

"Don't untie him until I tell you to"

I heard A voice command. Suddenly, A bright light shone through the area. It was so bright, that I had to shut my eyes, even though they were under the blindfold. When the light had died completely, the blindfold was taken from my eyes and I could see where I was. Wherever we were, it was dark and humid. Torches lined the walls, and they sent Orange and Yellow light that sent odd shadows over the surrounding rock walls.

"Take him to the altar"

I heard the voice that had been speaking for most of the time I had been blindfolded command. I watched as A Purple colored individual lifted my feet and A Yellow colored individual lift my upper body. They strained to carry me all the way to the altar, but they were able to. They set me down carefully on the table and they scrambled to stand next to stand next to the Burgundy colored individual they called "Rose".

"I don't like even touching him when he's like this"

I heard the Yellow individual say to Rose. She nodded slightly.

"No one likes this at all; the High Council wants him executed for what he did to Mako's brother up on the mountain"

Rose said quietly as she looked at me.

"Get the chains ready Venom and Lemon"

She ordered them. The two of them went to the left side of the room and picked some rolls of chains off of the wall. Each one took two rolls of chain off of the wall and put them on their shoulders. They walked to Rose and one stood on each side of her.

"Make sure that you tie him up so well that he starts to lose circulation in his ligaments if you need to"

She said firmly.

"Yes Council Member Rose!"

They replied professionally and in unison. They walked up the steps to the altar I was on. They took A spot on both sides of me and they untied my legs first. As they undid the ties, I tried to lash out with kicks aimed at their cheeks, but I still couldn't move for some reason. I then noticed that I was tied not only with chains, but with rope as well. The chains and rope that bound my feet together fell to the floor with the combined sounds of metallic clinking and the thump of the rope as it hit the floor.

"Act quickly Lemon"

Venom breathed as he quickly tied the new, heavier chains to bind my feet together.

"I'm working as quickly as I can Venom"

Lemon sighed with some annoyance in her voice. When she finished. The chains and rope that bound my arms fell to the floor with the same sounds as the chains and rope that fell moments ago.

"Careful Venom, he could lash out at any moment"

Lemon warned as my arms fell to my sides on the table.

"I understand Lemon, I'm trying my best"

Venom replied tensely as he started chaining my arm to the post that supported the ceiling above me. I looked to the other side of me to see that Lemon was doing the same thing as well.

"Hurry up you two, I'm getting A nervous feeling here"

Rose urged.

"We're doing our best Rose, we don't want to mess anything up"

The two of them said in unison with annoyance. When the both of them had finished, I was suspended in the air with my body hanging by the chains that were tied around my wrists. My feet were bound together with the same chains as well.

"Let's get outta here Lemon, I'm feeling the same way as Rose now"

I heard Venom say to Lemon as they both accompanied Rose out of the room. When they left the room, footsteps continued resounding in the room.

"Who's there?"

I wheezed. I had to focus my eyes, but I could see two White pinpoints of light in the room. They were flickering on the leftmost part of the room. They were in the darkest corner of the room where very little light reached. I blinked my eyes to make sure that I was not hallucinating from the pain I was enduring.

"Why would they treat you this way?"

I heard A voice rasp. My breathing quickened and my pulse started to rise. The feeling of anxiety grew as well.

"I don't know and I don't care"

I lashed back nastily. The voice laughed A scary gurgling laugh that sent chills up and down my back.

"Have you ever heard of the phrase don't bite the hand that feeds you?"

The voice asked as I saw something move in the shadows. I tried struggling against the chains that were nailed to the pillars, but my efforts were futile.

"I'm just too weak!"

I I said with all the energy I had, but it only came out as A whisper.

"I think that we could change that"

A new voice said.

"And how would that be?"

I rasped. I saw two rings of light form in the opposite area of the room that the scary voice was coming from. First, the Red rings formed and then the Orange rings formed. The rest of this individual seemed to form as both of the things that these voices belonged to emerged from the darkness.

"Fancy seeing you here Mastermind"

The individual on the right said with some sarcasm as he looked up at me. The thing on the right looked like A nightmare. It was freakishly thin, it smelled horrible and had A face that gave me chills even if I looked at it for even one second.

"Why would you say that?"

The freakish thing on the left asked as it looked up at me. The Black individual looked up at me angrily.

"It seems that we have A problem here Mastermind"

He said as he turned to the freakish thing. The thing vaporized and appeared close to where I was.

"What seems to be the problem Abyss?"

The thing asked in its raspy voice that sent more chills up and down my body.

"Emperor here seems to have something that's mine"

He said as he held out his arm to me.

"I don't remember him taking anything from you"

The Mastermind said as it appeared next to Abyss. Abyss sneered.

"He's taken something that's very important to me; something that is going to make me unstoppable!"

He said as the area around my body started to glow with A pulsing Purple color. The Mastermind looked at me. Every time it did that, I couldn't help but look into the large areas that were supposed to house eyes, but they weren't visible.

"You're not going to succeed in what you're trying to do Abyss"

The Mastermind rasped as its pinpoints turned to A Red color. The Purple pulsing glow around me turned to A Red color. When this happened, Abyss flinched and he started to convulse in what seemed to be pain.

"W-What's going on!?"

Abyss asked in anger and amazement as Blue and Black lighting chains started coursing over his body. He fell to the floor with A thumping sound.

"I told you what you were trying to accomplish was futile"

The Mastermind stated as he raised Abyss from the floor. As he was stood back up, I saw that the Orange rings that was supposed to be around his Red iris was absent. Both of his eyes now had the Red iris visible, and both of them were glowing brightly.

"I never gave him the Devil Gene"

Abyss said quietly. His voice had changed now. It was deeper and had an odd tone to it.

"The power that came from the Anti-Matter-Core was mine and mine only!"

He said loudly and with complete anger. The Mastermind turned his gaze from me, back to Abyss.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who gave him him the Devil Gene when you used Pain Split"

The Mastermind stated. Right after he said that, Abyss flinched and whipped himself around so that he could narrow his eyes at the Mastermind.

"How do you know about this?!"

Abyss asked angrily as he stabbed his finger at the thing. The Mastermind laughed again.

"I know many things Abyss; that's why the people that know me call me the Mastermind"

The thing said to him as Abyss turned his gaze back to me. I had the sudden urge to look at my arms, but I didn't know why. I tore my gaze from the monster and Abyss to look at my arms. They had reverted to the Green scale coloring that I had before.

"If I can't take the power I should have rightfully from you alive, I'll take it from you dead"

Abyss said with A cruel smile. The Mastermind shook his head once more.

"You won't succeed with this either Abyss, there will be more opportunities in the future for this"

The Mastermind said as Abyss put his arm to his side.

"Rise Emperor; let me ascertain what is truly mine!"

Abyss commanded me. As he said this, A wave of pure energy flew through my body. I tensed my right arm and pulled it close to my chest, breaking the chains that bound me to the pillar. I fell to the ground and landed awkwardly since my feet were bound by the chains. I then pulled my left arm close to my chest and the chains that bound me to the left pillar snapped. I locked eyes with Abyss as metallic rings fell all around me.

"There's nothing more for me here at this point"

The Mastermind started as the thing glided across the floor. It returned to the corner from where it had appeared from and melted into the shadows once more.

"Someone's about to have A really good day"

Abyss said as he got into his fighting stance. I looked down at the chains that bound my feet and noticed that they somehow had broken in the time that I was commanded by Abyss. The chains were now wrapped around my legs and arms as if I was an animal. I locked eyes with Abyss again.

"How about you give me what's truly mine?"

I asked him as I resumed taking my own stance. Abyss laughed to himself.

"You don't have enough power to be dangerous Emperor"

He started. I growled in response to the statement.

"You're going to have to become way more powerful if you want to be able to threaten me"

Abyss finished as he then looked at the floor below him.

"What have I done?"

I heard him ask himself in disbelief as he took shaky steps back from his original placement. I had no idea what was going on, but if Abyss was going to back down from the challenge that he proposed to me, I would see that as an act of cowardice.

"What are you scared of Abyss?"

I started to ask in A taunting way.

"Weren't you supposed to be ascertaining my power?"

I finished as Abyss melted into the corner just as the Mastermind did.

"I'm not going to be here when the monster that resides under this floor wakes"

He said quickly and with fear. I saw the Orange rings appear around his eyes once again as he disappeared into the corner.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

I asked the room. The chains that snaked around my arms and legs made metallic clinking sounds as I started to twitch uncontrollably. I felt power welling up in me once again.

"I wonder why Abyss and the Mastermind left so early?"

I asked myself as I started to pace uncontrollably. It was then that the doors to the chamber burst open

"How did you get down from there!?"

I heard A familiar voice ask me fearfully. I turned from my pacing and looked to see the Yellow individual from earlier. I laughed to myself.

"Did you really think that some measly chains would hold me down?"

I asked as I saw Red and Black lightning chains course around my arms and legs. They lit up the darkness with eerie lights that showed the pure fear that this individual had. The individual turned to run out the door, but I put out my arm and the doors closed before she could run out of the room. When the lighting had stopped coursing around me, I saw her hit her head softly against the door.

"If you want to kill me, then do it quickly"

She stated as she turned to me. I laughed.

"Do you really think that you have A say in how you die?"

I asked her as I felt wings coming from my back.

"She may not, but what I can say is that you're in really big trouble"

I heard A familiar voice say behind my back. I whipped around to see who it was, but there was no one there.

"I have reminded you once before that the path of evil is the one that leads to loneliness and sadness"

The voice continued on. I had no idea where the voice was coming from, but every time it spoke, it made waves of pain go over my body.

"Let me dispel this evil from you for now"

The voice said as I felt something touch the back of my neck. The grasp was firm, but not enough to cut off my breathing.

"What are you doing?"

I asked the individual as I felt the power that wanted to well up in me stop. I felt the bones in my wings start to dissipate and the horns that came from my head start to wither and return to where they had come from. I was also dizzy now.

"The path of darkness leaves trails of death and destruction that nobody wants"

The voice said. By now, I was close to fainting again, but I had enough sense to make out who was speaking to me.

"I remember this voice"

I told myself as I fell to my knees.

"As you should remember the voice of your mother who wants the best for you"

She said with a soft and soothing voice as I fell to the floor

"There's an evil presence here, I can feel it"

She stated as I heard her walk around the room.

"Could this be the trigger that made my son the destructive individual he was?"

I heard her ask herself as someone continued beating on the door that led into this room. I heard the doors open.

"Before you leave Doctor Lemon, be sure to to ask for help and tell them that Siren sent you"

She instructed as Lemon ran from the room quickly.

"I do care for you Emperor, but there's just too much evil in this world for you to be around others who share the most optimistic desires"

She said softly and with A sigh. I moaned softly and I had to close my eyes now. My vision swam and my body was burning with pain.

"Don't worry Emperor, this is only temporary"

She started to say as the doors burst open again.

"You'll be free soon, I can promise this"

these were the last words that she said to me before I sank into the sea of unconsciousness that was brought on by the pain once again.


	19. Chapter 18 (Ignis)

Chapter 18 Ignis

Halcyon's P.O.V.

I didn't know how much needed to change before things went back to normal. I was in the War Room with the other High Council Members discussing what needed to happen next. Rojo was laying on A makeshift bed that was made out of stuffed pillows with A spread of cloth that was covering his body all the way up to his chest. It took us until Twilight to make sure that he was going to make it. I tried to focus on what Venom was talking about; what happened on the mountain, but all I could focus on was the voice that was calling me. It was extremely faint, but it echoed in my head and took my concentration from what I was trying to understand.

"As I was saying, what we could do here is take A couple of boats armed with cannons and attack the castle from the South side"

Venom was explaining when I stood up from my seat. Venom's voice trailed off as I stood up. I got worried glances from the High Council Members as I stood up.

"What's the matter Halcyon?"

Rose asked me as I looked out the window that faced towards the mountain.

"I need to clear my thoughts"

I stated as I walked to the door. Just as I was extending my hand out to turn the doorknob, I stopped and turned back to the see the others standing in A row.

"I'm going to the Geology and Petrology District"

I stated as I turned back to the door and walked through it and shut the door behind me. I looked at the various campfires that flickered like stars in the various locations that burned where the town once stood. I sighed and looked up at the stars that were flickering like the campfires.

"Will everything go back to the way it was?"

I asked with A heavy sigh as I started my walk down to the beach. I felt for some reason that many things would change within A short time.

"I wonder what's going to happen with Emperor as well"

I told myself as I stepped onto the sand of the beach. I looked for any canoes that I could use. Usually, when trade would happen amongst the people, they would buy and sell or trade within their canoes. At the end of the day, they would leave the canoes near the water so they could go back to their trading again the next day. It was hard to see through the almost complete darkness, but I found A line of canoes that were in the sand. I walked over the sand and it made crunching sounds while I walked over it to the canoe on the rightmost side of the line. I materialized a fireball in my left hand as I looked over the edge of the canoe. The flickering light of the fireball illuminated the floor of the canoe. There was nothing in it, so I hopped over the side of the canoe and fumbled in the darkness for the oars that were supposed to be in the bottom of the boat.

"Where are those things?"

I asked myself with annoyance as I continued to be unsuccessful in my efforts. I was about to take another pair of oars from another canoe when I remembered something.

"The oars are kept on the side of the boat"

I said somewhat annoyed and frustrated to myself. I reached over the side of the canoe's wall and got the oars from the sidewall. I then got out of the canoe to look for any damages that would hinder my progress. For some reason, I felt that the High Council Members and the individuals I chose to keep Emperor contained didn't do the best job. I shook the thought away and I finished looking over the canoe. I then pushed the canoe into the water and just as it was about to be fully in the water, I jumped in at the last second. I almost fell out of the boat since it was rocking so much, but I was able to steady the boat before I fell out of it. I got the oars that were on the bottom of the canoe and got into the standard rowing position. I had not used canoes and oars much, but I was acquainted with them. I started rowing and I looked at the sparkling water that shone with the bioluminescence of the fish and the light from the moon.

"I've never really taken much time to admire the beauty of nature"

I told myself as some of the fish jumped out of the water. Taking my mind away from this, I focused on what my mission was.

"I need to find whatever is speaking in my head"

I told myself as I neared the back of the mountain on this island. I drifted on the waves A short while to rest my arms and to see if I could find the cave that was supposed to be on the back part of the mountain. I had to look through the darkness for A while to find the cave, but when I found it, I snapped my fingers.

"Got it"

I told myself as I picked up the oars once more. I rowed with renewed vigor now. I was excited and nervous to find out where this voice was coming from, but I felt that once I found out what this voice was attached to, it would become A critical part to combatting the evil we currently faced.

"Interesting thought"

I told myself as I rowed against the waves. As I did this, I thought Rojo and Emperor.

_The Fire Element Chose Rojo for some reason and Emperor got the Devil Gene from Abyss. If Emperor got the Devil Gene From Abyss, that would make him his….brother?_

I thought to myself as I was nearing the cave entrance, and fighting the waves was tiresome.

Genes are passed down from generation to generation, so how is it possible that Emperor received the Devil Gene if his mother didn't have it and his father, which was A close relative to mine didn't have it?

I continued to think as the waves became weaker. I stopped rowing so hard and settled into A steady pace.

_If the fire element chose Rojo, there's still the Water Element and the Earth Element left yet._

I remembered as I narrowly missed some stalactites that signified the mouth of the cave. As I traveled over the water in the cave, I felt A strong presence. It felt...powerful and wise.

What could possibly have been here all this time without anyone causing any mention to it?

I thought as the front of the canoe hit something hard, jarring me from my thoughts. I turned around in my seat so that I could see where I was. When I looked at where I had landed, my breath was taken away with awe. My canoe had stuck in the sand, so I dropped the oars back into the canoe and jumped out of the small boat onto the sand. I looked at the cave in awe once more. Crystals were growing out of the walls in many vibrant colors that shone brilliantly in the night. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and they were covered with tiny crystals as well. The walls shone with Blue-Green bioluminescence that casted the same color on the floor with A soft glow of that color. I took some more steps and found myself at the edge of the sand. The ground after the sand looked like limestone. Then my awe was replaced with interest.

"This doesn't look like the work of nature"

I told myself as I found intricate drawings in the walls. I walked to the closest one and studied it. The drawing depicted individuals of my species bringing what looked like offerings to A large...animal of some sort. Whatever it was, it looked like A huge lizard. It was many times the size of the Assassin Lizards that lived on the Island Chain, but what was odd about it was that it looked like something I had studied A long time ago. I wasn't sure if the picture was drawn to scale, but I couldn't help that fact that it was drawn so large. I turned around and looked at the next picture on the opposite side of the wall. It looked like the same large lizard from the other side of the wall, but this time, it showed the same lizard with what looked like to be an orb that had many lines going around the outside of it.

_What could this be? What are the artists that drew these pictures trying to say?_

These were the questions that I asked myself as I looked at the drawing next to this one. It showed the same lizard with its wrist open. With its other hand, it was holding what looked like to be A single claw. The claw was depicted with an aura radiating from it; similar to how the light was coming from the bioluminescence on the walls. I turned back around and looked at the last picture that was on the wall. It looked like this huge lizard was fighting another individual of my species. The lizard had changed in appearance. From the normal lizard shape it once possessed, it now had large spikes coming from its back and the front of its legs, but these spikes faced up and away from the lizard's legs.

"What changed from the last point to this one?"

I asked as I looked at who the lizard was fighting. The bioluminescence started to flow slowly down the wall and settle in the lines that the artist drew. It was something to marvel at. The artist was able to use nature and their imagination to display beautiful drawings! Right after this, I heard A low rumbling sound. The ground shook with the energy that the rumbling was emanating. I looked for an area of cover just in case that the stalactites fell from the ceiling, but I couldn't find any. I then saw what looked like to be A door with A small overhang. I bolted to the door and put my back to it to make myself as little as possible. The shaking gradually stopped and the door opened and I fell backwards. As I was about to hit the ground, I backrolled and got up. The door had shut again, so I looked around. I was in another cave. It was significantly larger than the area I was just in. more the of the bioluminescence that I saw out in the mouth of the cave was present here as well. There were no stalactites, just stalagmites that poked out of the ground in various areas. As I studied the area, I saw more of the pictures of this lizard in the cave area that I was in. my attention was then drawn to a large mound in the center of the room. I walked around the stalagmites and stood myself in front of the mound.

"Fancy meeting you here"

A voice said to me. I growled.

"What are you doing here?"

I asked the individual behind the mound.

"I'm here for the same reason you are"

The voice said. The individual walked out from behind the mound. I was astounded by the physical features of this person. He had long skinny legs that supported A round body that was topped with A human head that had A strange projection of hair coming from underneath his nose in both directions. He also wore goggles that covered his eyes. He had A black shirt with A Red overcoat that was adorned with Gold buttons. I took A few steps back and almost tripped on A stalagmite as I got into my fighting stance.

"I have no idea who you are, but what I do know is that you're not here for A good purpose"

I said as the figure dug in his pocket for something.

"Looks like you need to chill out!"

The individual said as he brought A weapon from his pocket and fired it at me in one swift motion. I ducked under the blast and materialized DeathBringers.

"You're going to lose if you fight me here"

The figure said with an evil laugh. I tensed up. The individual was right. I relied on speed and power to neutralize my threats. I needed A way to fight this individual without expending too much of my magic energy. Besides the individual that had me in check with A weapon, I felt A stronger presence in the room with me.

_What else could this be?_

I asked myself as I considered my options.

_I could try to pick one of these stalagmites out of the ground and use it as A weapon, I could use my DeathBringers as stepping stones to fight on, or what I else could I do?_

I asked as this individual started to speak again.

"My name is Doctor Ivo Robotnik, and now that you know my name, you're gonna be terminated!"

He said as he put the weapon in his pocket and brought out another gun.

"This is my prized possession; my mobile Jupiter Cannon"

He said. A chill went down my back.

_What's A jupiter cannon? What's it capable of?_

I asked myself as I looked at the thing. It looked like A short and wide metal rod with A cage near the muzzle of the weapon.

"You think that's enough to beat me?"

I asked angrily as I chose one of my options.

"I sure hope this works"

I told myself as I jumped on the nearest DeathBringer in time to see the area where I was melt into magma.

"For wanting me to chill out, you're A little hot headed"

I told him as I nearly fell of the DeathBringer I was on. I stood on the hovering DeathBringer and crossed my arms.

"What exactly are you trying to get from here?"

I asked him as my eyes were drawn to the muzzle of the gun. It was an angry Red color that sent wispy smoke of Black color from the metal. Robotnik laughed.

"I'm here to harness the power of the legendary creature that rests here for Master John"

He said as he charged another shot. I sighed.

"I understand that there's A very powerful being here, but why do you want it so bad?"

I asked him as he fired another shot. I backflipped from the DeathBringer I was on, to another one close to me as I watched Robotnik put another hole in the wall.

_At this point, it seems that Ivo isn't going to stop doing damage until he gets whatever is in that mound, or i'm dead_

I thought as Robotnik dropped the cannon on the ground and yelped in what seemed to be pain for some reason.

"Now Fire!"

I commanded the remaining DeathBringers. I almost hit the ceiling from how wide the DeathBringer I was on opened its mouth. I watched the streams of energy erupt from their mouths and impact the ground right where Ivo stood. The DeathBringer I was on disintegrated and I fell to the ground, right next to A stalagmite. I assessed the current damages. Numerous holes were cut into the walls by the "Mobile Jupiter Cannon" that Ivo possessed, most of the Stalagmites on the floor were scattered around the floor of the cave in shards, and dust littered the floor.

"I thought you were against defacing monuments"

I hear A familiar voice say. I turned quickly to see who it was.

"What are you doing here!?"

I hissed to him. The sounds of metallic clinking resounded in the cave as the individual stood himself next to me.

"You're supposed to be in the dungeon. How did you escape!?"

I asked wildly as I looked around. Emperor laughed.

"No cell can contain me Halcyon"

He said as he took the Reborn off of his back.

"I'm sure it was the Devil Gene that helped you"

I muttered to myself as I saw Robotnik emerge from behind the mound of rock with another weapon.

"If I can't hit you with something big, I'll just hit you with many small things!"

He said crazily as I looked at the weapon he was holding. I looked similar to the weapon he had previously. It had many long and short shafts that started to rotate at A high speed with A high mechanical whirring sound that hurt my ears.

"Halcyon!"

I heard A voice cry as soon as the Weapon's muzzle started to flash rapidly.

_I'm not fast enough to dodge all of these bullets. _

I told myself.

_These are my last moments. The only regret that I have is that I never told Emperor who he really was_

I told myself as I turned to see who it was that had called my name.

"No...It's not possible!"

I watched as the Pink scaled individual walk past me at A normal pace as time seemed to slow down all around me. I followed her steps with my eyes while standing place as she casually walked around the bullets, occasionally flicking one to the side. She stood herself in front of Ivo and studied him for A second. Then she strolled back to where Emperor and I were standing. Emperor was already in the air readying his sky impact attack. The pink individual grabbed Emperor by his leg and he froze in his stance. Then, she put him under her left arm and carried him to the wall. She set him against the wall and brought me to where she put Emperor. She then walked to the middle of the cave and snapped her fingers and everything went to normal speed once again. I watched in fear as the bullets were blasted from this machine. I wanted to cry out in fear, but I was in A freeze spell. I had no choice but to watch the bullets go around her as she neared Ivo. I saw the muscles in her arm tense up as she stood in front of Ivo. at this point, Clicking sounds went through the area. Ivo glanced nervously at the gun and then to the pink individual that was in front of him.

"You're very lucky that I'm in A great mood today, otherwise, you would've been dead by now"

She said angrily. Ivo opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"Scram!"

She yelled. Ivo flinched and dropped the weapon. He ran around the mound and as he emerged around the other side of the mound, I saw him drop something behind the formation. He ran out of the cave and that was the last we saw of him. His departure was signified by the the sound of something that sent some water into the cave. It was then that I could move again. I fell to the ground hard and Emperor fell on top of me.

"Get off"

I growled as I pushed myself up from the ground. Emperor rolled off of my back and he rolled to his feet.

"Oh, no"

I heard him quietly moan as he saw the Pink individual.

"What's the matter Emperor? Lily here just saved your life!"

I said as I turned to him and scolded him. He buried his face in his hands.

"That's just what I'm complaining about"

He said with his voice muffled by his hands.

"And what's wrong with me saving your life?"

She said as she walked to stand by Emperor's side

"You should be thanking me Emperor"

She said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm going to thank you for saving my life, but I'm not going to let you...you know"

Emperor stated flatly as he shrugged off her hand. He walked to the mound that was in the center of the room and stood himself in front of it. I looked at Lily.

"He just doesn't want to admit he likes you"

I said as I walked over to her and gave her A sympathetic hug.

"I guess"

She said sadly with A sniffle.

"Who knows, maybe one day he will like you"

I said with A wink as I let her go and walked to the mound in the center of the room.

"Do you think that whatever it was that was drawn on those walls out there is the thing that's buried under this rock here?"

He asked as he tapped the rock with his knuckle. It made A somewhat hollow thumping sound every time his knuckle hit the rock. Suddenly, I remembered something. I walked quickly to where Emperor was standing and stood next to him.

"Do you remember what Ivo dropped behind this mound of rock?"

I asked him as time seemed to slow down once again. I saw A huge and extremely bright flash of light fill the room momentarily. Emperor seemed to be moving much faster than the slowed time for some reason. Lighting fast, he drew the Reborn off of his back.

"I'm not going to let anyone else die anymore!"

He shouted. His shout echoed off of the walls and in my head as I saw the Reborn glow A yellow color and the Symbol for the Sacred Art Armor appeared in the eyes of the weapon. Emperor swung the weapon and just as the shard of rock from the explosion was about to hit me, an orb of Yellow color formed around me. Just then, the speed of time returned to normal and the shards harmlessly bounced off of the shield that was around me. It was then that I saw what exactly Robotnik had been searching for. The shield remained around me for about ten seconds before it disintegrated into dust. I heard Lily walk over to stand on my left side and all three of us looked into the small crater that was left in the center of the room.

"Is that?"

Lily started. Emperor nodded.

"According to the text that I found on the walls, it seems that the name of this creature is Ignis"

He said as the lizard that was portrayed on the wall became somewhat visible.

"Ignis huh?"

She asked herself. As soon as she finished her sentence, the lizard broke the surrounding rock that bound it and raced up the side of the hole, swept Emperor and I off of our feet, and I saw it slam Lily against the wall. Lily went unconscious upon impacting the wall. Emperor was already on his feet.

"Ignis has Lily against the wall by her throat Halcyon"

He stated as the Reborn flashed Yellow and then went back to glowing the Blue-Green color it did when an art was not being used.

"I would advise taking caution rather than an aggressive approach"

I stated as I shook my head and stood up. The artists who drew this creature were not joking about its size. It was about as long as three of our average sized individuals and looked very intimidating, yet, I didn't feel anger coming from the creature. I felt...fear and restlessness.

"What have you done to my resting place!?"

The thing yelled at Lily. it was then that I saw the nails on this creature. They were long and curved at the tips. They were similar to sickles by how they looked.

"You have desecrated my sacred resting place! You'll pay for this!"

The lizard continued yelling at Lily.

"I don't think that she can hear you...whoever you are"

I said. The lizard looked from yelling at her and looked at me while still holding Lily against the wall.

"Who are you and what is your reasoning?"

The lizard asked angrily.

"I am Halcyon, and my reasoning is that she is currently unconscious"

I said carefully. I had no idea what this creature was capable of, but I thought that seeing this was only the beginning of its power.

"Unconscious?"

The thing asked as it dropped Lily and scrabbled over the floor to stand itself in front of me.

"Can you explain to me what this unconscious is?"

The lizard asked as it looked around cave. I sighed.

"I think that you've been asleep for A very long time"

I said as I watched Emperor drape Lily over his left shoulder.

"How long have you been at rest?"

Emperor asked as he walked over to stand next to me. The lizard looked up at the ceiling and tapped A single claw against its chin as it thought.

"I've never thought about measuring my years"

It said as it focused on Emperor.

"What's that on your back?"

It asked as it rotated Emperor with only one claw.

"It's A weapon called the Reborn, and I would appreciate it if you didn't touch me"

He said angrily and with annoyance. The lizard returned to its resting position.

"According to my thoughts, I would've been alive for about 10,000 years, or 12,000 of your revolutions"

The thing said. Without missing A beat, the thing asked another question before I could open my mouth.

"How did you know my name?"

It asked as it focused on me now.

"There were some pictures on the wall that depicted you"

Emperor stated as he shifted Lily to his right shoulder.

"I believe that they are called pictographs if I am not mistaken"

I said as the lizard scratched its head.

"I see that the both of you are very attentive to detail"

The lizard said as it stopped scratching its head.

"What else was drawn on the walls?"

Ignis asked as it looked around once again. I looked at Emperor and he returned A somewhat worried gaze.

"We saw something that looked like you take something out of your wrist"

Emperor started. Ignis looked back at Emperor.

"Is that true now?"

He asked as he flipped his front left foot to reveal un upraised portion of scales.

"What's that under your scales there?"

Emperor asked. Ignis laughed.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you that at this point"

He said as he flipped his foot back over.

"I can feel concentrated elemental energy confined to the area near your foot"

I told Ignis. Ignis twitched.

"How can you feel magic, most specifically Elemental Energy?"

He asked quickly as he put A single claw on my chest. I wanted to back away, but that would show fear.

_If I were to show fear to this creature, who knows how much it will try to take advantage over me?_

I thought as I looked to see one of the eyes of Ignis. The eye was A base color of Yellow, with A Red vertical slit pupil. I could see the Black capillaries that ran through the eye. Ignis blinked, and I could see A thin third eyelid cover its eye moments before the creature completed its blinking action.

"I am currently studying Elemental Energy, and I want to understand how it works"

I said, but Ignis stared blankly at me and I sighed.

"In the most simplest words, I can feel it because I use it"

I said as I looked at Emperor. He had put Lily on the ground next to him.

"If you can use magic energy, why don't we see it?"

Emperor asked as he reached for the Reborn. Ignis scratched the floor absently, causing sparks jump from the tips of his claws.

"I can tell you that if you listen to A story"

He told us. Emperor looked at me and I nodded slightly.

"Very well, you might want to sit down for this one"

He said as he lifted his right foot. Two circular stones that were flat on the top appeared close to where Emperor and I were standing. As Ignis started to speak, we sat on the stones.

"A long time ago, I was nothing more than An orb of magic energy. I floated around in existence until I wandered into A volcano. As Magic Energy, you can't feel anything, but I was somehow able to feel the area around me. At this point in time, the magma in the volcano had somehow fallen out from underneath the rock base it had been resting on. Since the Magic Energy form I had taken was too heavy to be lifted, I fell into the hole where the rest of the magma had gone to. I soon found myself being compressed by immense forces and after some time, I wondered if I was ever going to be able to find A way to the surface. More years passed and the magma around me started to crystalize. My hopes were starting to fall. At this point, A great earthquake took place, and along with the current state of my Magic Energy, I was able to form A body. Then, right after the earthquake, I was swept away by A river of magma. As I was carried along, I was constantly hitting rocks that were sticking out underground. This made my underside very tender and soft, but after getting battered for some time, I eventually came into this world when I was casted out of A volcano by an eruption that could be seen for miles around. Soon after I was casted out of this volcano, I noticed my body was very different than the other that had found me. I was found by individuals like you. They spoke A different language that you speak here, but they started to worship me for some reason. They understood that I could use Earth Magic, but they didn't know how I could do it. After some time, they gave me A name after one of their elements. This element was fire, but I didn't understand why they named me Ignis. After meeting with the leader of the tribe that had found me, I asked him why this was. He told me that he had named me Ignis because he saw me come out of the volcano in that eruption. He also then told me that the top side of my body was extremely strong. He could also sense great magic potential in me as well. After he explained these things to me, he told me that he had thought my name came from the way the top side of my body was formed. He then showed my how the tribe had made bricks using clay and the

heat of the sun. after showing me these things, he told me that if I was going to use their land and resources to live, I had to do my share of work. So they used me to dig holes, plow land, cut away rock formations, dig tunnels and tell stories to those who would listen. I didn't understand why I was needed to tell stories, but I later found out that telling them stories made them legends among the tribe. After some more time, I had gained the trust of the tribe. The leader called me to A mountain that he often went to. There, he told me that he was very happy and impressed with how much I was helping out the tribe. As an act of his gratitude, he gave me the object that you saw that was near my hand. It was something special that he wore around his neck when he went to ceremonies. Soon after this, I heard A commotion down in the town. The tribal leader and I raced down to the town to see and individual that looked similar to Emperor here. The only difference was the he had Black scales, not Green. He was breathing fire, tearing up houses and destroying the monuments and statues that the tribe had made of me. I wasn't too pleased with this individual, but I thought by telling him to stop, I could stop the destruction I was seeing. Words couldn't get to this individual for some reason, so I resorted then to what the tribal leader had given me. I had to cut myself to release the item from my body, but when I took the item out, I saw the tribal leader get impaled through the chest with one of the Black scaled individual's arm spikes. His last words to me were these: cut off one of your claws so that you may awaken your true power. After he said this, the individual ripped the spike out of his chest and tossed him to the side. I was overcome with grief and hatred. I wanted revenge and I vowed to myself that day if I ever was found by someone that looked like my tribal leader, I would pledge my allegiance to him with my very life. Most of the town was destroyed by now, and the individual was about to leave, so I ripped one of my claws out and put the new claw in. as soon as I put the new claw in, I felt A rush of energy and Magic Energy. This Purple and Pink orb formed around me and the wind picked up around me. As I was in this orb, my body changed. I gained more mass, spikes grew out of my back and legs, and my body temperature became much hotter. I told the individual that had destroyed the people that I knew of for so long to stop running away and fight. As my body finished transforming, the orb around me shattered and I looked at the individual who had razed my town. Needless to say, we fought, and I won my the narrowest of margins. In the end, I condemned this individual to A ceremonial bottle that I had found among the ruins of the tribe. There was only one individual left it was at this point that I understood that the world I lived in was not very kind or caring. It was A maroon individual whose name was Rosa. She was A young individual that was only a hatchling at the time, but I wanted her to know what kindness and caring was, so I took her under my care until I could find A place that I thought would be suited for her. That's how I ended up here. You may be asking yourselves these questions: how was I able to swim with Rosa on my back? How was I able to provide for Rosa? Where is Rosa now? How did you get here? Why did you choose this place? These are many questions that are asked by those who meet me"

Ignis finished. I looked at Emperor who seemed to be transfixed by something. I got up from my seat and waved my hand in front of his face. As I did this, Emperor shook his head as if he was clearing it and looked up at me.

"Sorry Halcyon, I was just amazed by his story"

Emperor stated as he got up from his seat and stretched. I scoffed.

"He's A storyteller Emperor, of course you would be mesmerized"

I scoffed as Ignis shook his head.

"I'm surprised I remember all of this myself!"

He exclaimed to himself. I turned to Ignis.

"How about you answer those questions Ignis? Maybe we could understand you better"

I said as I sat Emperor down on the rock that Ignis made.

"I was able to swim because the tribe taught me how. Even though i'm heavy, I'm buoyant for some reason. As for Rosa, I have no idea where she went after I got here"

Ignis's voice trailed off. He looked sad and and lost for A moment, but he shook his head.

"I was able to provide for Rosa by staying close to area I knew of. She loved fruit, mostly Watermelons, Dragon Fruit and Coconuts"

Ignis went on.

"Needless to say, I got here by swimming. Rosa picked the place, and my last request to her before I slept here was that I could be buried in here"

His voice trailed off again.

"I don't know if it was her that drew those pictures on the walls before she left, but I do miss her"

Ignis stated as he started walking around the room.

"Now i'm unusually hungry"

He started. I looked fearfully at Emperor and he returned my same fearful glance.

"What is it that you eat?"

I asked fearfully as I saw Ignis start to dig into the wall across from me. I was astounded and scared by how easily he cut into the surrounding rock with his claws.

"To maintain my body, I usually eat ore deposits"

He called as Emperor and I raced across the room to watch Ignis burrow into the wall. We dodged rocks that occasionally flew past us to reach the other side of the room. We were careful not to trip over any stalagmites as we made our way over.

"I found some!"

I heard him exclaim as we reached Ignis. I looked at Emperor, who had his face in his hands once more.

"We're gonna be here A while aren't we?"

I asked him. He nodded slightly.

"I believe so"

He said as Ignis started crunching on something metallic.


	20. Chapter 19 (Fighting the Truth)

Chapter 19 Fighting the Truth

Split (Cynder/Rojo)

Rojo 1st then Cynder

When I woke up, it was dark. Candles flickered in the soft breeze of the night. I had no idea how long I was out, but I knew one thing for sure. I was still in immense pain.

_I should've died out there. How is it that I'm still alive?_

I asked myself this as I looked around. It looked like I was still in the War Room, but things had changed. I could hear snoring in various parts of the room, but I felt that I was being targeted for some reason.

_I need to stop thinking about the events that happened in the past. What happened in the past stays there. I need to keep moving forward._

I scolded myself. I lifted my head off of the makeshift bed I was on. With this new ability, I was able to look at even more of the room. The room had been arranged in such A way that I was the most visible thing in the room. I didn't like being visible, but I didn't want to look secretive. I heard shuffling close to where I was, so I whipped my head to see who or what moved to my right side.

"Oh, it's you"

I said with relief. The individual laughed.

"I wouldn't know the Great Leader Rojo would be scared of A little Lab Lizard like me"

She said as she pushed my head gently with her hand so that I was laying on the pillow once more.

"Lemon, I'm fine"

I started to say, but she shushed me quietly.

"I need to look at your injuries, you've sustained A lot of them out there when you went up Mount Glacial"

She said as she took off the blanket that covered me. Through the moonlight that filtered in from the windows, I could see the damages that covered my body.

"You really don't need to Lemon, I'm fine"

I said as I felt the internal heat of the Fire Element course in my veins. Lemon sighed with frustration.

"I have no idea why you want to ignore your wounds all the time!"

She exclaimed softly as she started studying the rocks that were still stuck in my arms and legs.

"I'm not going to be able to take these out of your body without the tools I have in my Lab"

She told me quietly. She seemed to be distressed about something. It was then that I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It seemed to be coiled around her fingers.

"Are those wires still around your fingers?"

I asked as I saw them shine softly in the moonlight. Lemon took A quick breath.

"The others haven't noticed them yet, but I do fear that they will see them if I am not careful in hiding them"

She said as she turned her attention from my wounds, to the window. She got up from the floor and looked out of the window.

"What are you looking at?"

I asked as I struggled to sit up. I heard scrabbling sounds go across the floor. I didn't react fast enough to see what it was, but whatever it was, raced up my back, jumped off of my shoulder and landed on Lemon's shoulder. She jumped in surprise and stifled A yelp.

"What are you still doing awake!?"

She hissed to the object on her shoulder. Whatever was on her shoulder hissed at her. She nodded and looked back out of the window.

"I can feel an evil presence here as well"

She said as she looked to the floor.

"I can feel something has changed too"

I told myself. Lemon looked at me.

"Are you able to walk Rojo?"

She asked me quietly. I tested my arms and legs. They hurt, but they didn't hurt enough to keep me bound to the bed I was on. Only at certain angles did my arms and legs hurt.

_Normal walking shouldn't do much harm to my wounds. After all, bleeding is A sign that you're working harder to strengthen yourself._

I told myself as I stood up. I could feel the rocks in my arms and legs. There were sounds of liquid hitting the floor as I started to walk.

"Make sure that you are quiet Rojo"

She started as the pattering sounds became more frequent.

"I don't want to explain to the others why I took you out of the War Room this late at night"

She told me as we both walked out of the place. Lemon closed the door quietly and we both stood in front of the door and admired the moon. It was glowing A Yellow color and had A Blue ring around it that sparkled in the night. Stars twinkled in the sky. It was then that I could see what was on Lemon's shoulder. It was A lizard that looked similar to the Assassin Lizards that were all over the United Island Archipelago, but it had A large fan around its neck. It seemed to be cut, as the fan's edges ended too sharply to have been not artificially made. The color of this lizard was odd as well. It had the base color of Yellow, but it also had Orange dappled all over its body. The lizard seemed really skittish for some reason. It constantly looked at its surroundings and ran from Lemon's right shoulder to the opposite one and then back again.

"What's wrong with that lizard?"

I asked as Lemon pushed me from my place.

"There's nothing wrong with it Rojo; why would you ask that?"

She said as she kept A brisk pace with me. Suddenly, I had A disturbing thought.

_If I'm bleeding, that means that something can pick up my scent. If that were to happen, then my life and the lives of those who are with me would be put in compromising circumstances. _

I thought this was I walked.

"I cannot allow this to happen"

I told myself under my breath. When I said this, Lemon stopped walking.

"What did you say?"

She asked me as she struggled to take her left boot off.

"It's nothing really Lemon; I'm fine"

I said as I looked around. Once again, we stopped at the beach.

"I need you to close your eyes when you see this object start to emit light, ok Rojo?

She asked me as I saw her produce A small metallic disk from her boot.

"Why would I need to do that?"

I asked as I watched Lemon put her foot back into the boot. It was rare that anyone of my species would take off their boots.

_Most often, these boots were passed down by the generations before._

I remembered as she threw the metallic disk into the ground in front of us. The disk's topmost part rotated and opened, expelling mist into the surrounding air. The mist gradually dissipated and light started to come from the object. I closed my eyes and A bright flash of light exploded into my view. I felt A falling sensation for A few seconds, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself in Lemon's Lab. I had been placed by the Stainless Steel table that Lemon had used to Operate on NightShade. I sighed when I remembered his name.

_NightShade would've been A great soldier if he would've worked harder to maintain A healthy body._

_I thought as I ran my hand along the table._

"Did I say that you could touch anything?"

I heard Lemon ask from the other side of the room. I took my hand from the table and walked quickly to where Lemon was seated. She was doing something with the device on the Wooden table that had bowls that were stacked precariously halfway to the ceiling. I had no idea how she could use this device without causing the bowls to fall over, but it astounded me. Clacking sounds came from the device that had many projections with letters on them.

"What's that fancy gadget you have there?"

I asked as Lemon continued using the device that hooked up to another device. I watched in awe as her fingers moved quickly over the device with many projections. When I asked my question, she stopped causing the clacking noises and looked up at me.

"By the standards of others, this is very primitive Rojo"

She told me as she stood up and got her White coat from the back of the chair.

"As for the Fancy Gadget that you see here, this is A KeyBoard, next to the KeyBoard is A Computer, and the object here is A computer Monitor"

She explained as she went back to using the KeyBoard. I thought about the terms that she used to describe these objects.

_The Computer Monitor seems to be displaying information that is desired._

I observed as Lemon looked at the screen.

_Everything seems to be arranged into organized arrays of documents_

I told myself as Lemon continued to search for A specific document.

_The Computer itself seems to be really intricately designed._

I told myself as I looked at it. It looked like Lemon when she… became that monster I had to fight. I shuddered at the thought of seeing her like that again. Lemon was looking at me with an interested look on her face.

"Are you scared of the unknown Rojo?"

She asked me as I looked at the Computer. I shuddered again and Lemon laughed.

"I'm not scared of the unknown Lemon"

I said as I turned to her. She looked up at me with A confused stare.

"What are you shaking for then?"

She asked. Just then, her eyes widened in terror.

"What's going on Lemon?"

I asked as she practically flew out of her chair.

"Get on the operating table"

She commanded me. I put my hands up in defeat.

"Ok, ok. I'm going!"

I said as I walked to the table. I heard Lemon muttering to herself as she walked quickly around the Lab gathering materials and other objects that I didn't see. I then turned my gaze to the floor, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Lemon?"

I called, with my voice becoming weak.

"What's going on Rojo?"

She called as I saw her emerge from behind A shelf with A box. She walked over to the table and set the box on the ground next to where I was laying.

"You might want to attend to the floor"

I said, motioning with my head to the blood that was all over the floor. Lemon turned her gaze from mine, to the floor. Lemon shireked in terror and almost fainted, but she was able to overcome whatever she thought she saw somehow. I saw her put both of her hands on her cheeks and look up at the ceiling.

_This was A nervous habit that she had. It's kinda like how NorthWind scratches the top of her hand when she's nervous._

I mused to myself as I saw her look back to the floor again.

"T-There's b-blood o-on -t-the f-floor"

She stammered. I saw her start to shake.

"Lemon?"

I called to her. She whipped around to look at me. Her eyes were still widened in fear.

"It's just A little blood ok?"

I told her as she shook her head as if she was trying to clear something from it.

"You're right"

She said shakily. I could tell that she was trying to convince herself that it wasn't that bad.

_Is this really what A germaphobe is like?_

I thought as I watched Lemon bend over and take various tools out of the box that was next to the table I was on, one at A time.

"So?"

I started when Lemon had taken the last object out of the box. She stopped focusing on the tools to look at me inquisitively.

"What is your problem Rojo?"

She asked me as she turned from my gaze to line the tools that she took out of the box up near my body.

"For some reason I think I recall having someone else here at this time"

I heard Lemon murmur to herself as she started cleaning the floor. I was starting to become drowsy once again.

"Hey Lemon?"

I called as my eyes started to shut.

"What is it Rojo?"

She replied nervously.

"Am I supposed to be feeling tired?"

I asked with A yawn. Lemon looked over me while brandishing A knife.

"Yes you are, and now, you won't feel A thing"

She said as I saw something materialize behind Lemon.

Cynder's P.O.V.

It took me some time to reach Lemon's Lab, but I was able to teleport there after my third try. I made it just in time to see her threaten Rojo with A weapon.

"What are you doing!?"

I cried. Lemon yelped and jerked around to see who it was that had called her name.

"Were you expecting anyone else?"

I asked her angrily as she sighed in relief.

"Oh… it's only you Cynder"

She sighed. She started taking in large amounts of breath as she tried calming herself down.

"I suppose you're here to discuss the Devil Gene, right?"

She said when she had caught her breath. I nodded.

"I don't have much time to be here, but I'm going to need you to answer two questions"

I declared as we walked over to the Computer. Lemon flopped into the chair and started typing away on the KeyBoard. I scoffed.

"You need to start taking better care of yourself Lemon; this place is A total mess"

I grouched. Lemon sneezed, sending dust over the KeyBoard.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!"

I stated as Lemon turned from the Monitor to look at me with disgust.

"Did you come to comment on my living conditions or did you come to find out more information regarding your...you know"

She started off angrily, but her voice trailed off as she finished her sentence.

"I'm surprised that you took A stand for yourself this time Lemon"

I said with A hint of amazement as she turned back to the computer. I watched her fingers move quickly over the over the KeyBoard as images that displayed the Devil Gene flashed across the screen.

"What have you figured out about it?"

I asked as I crossed my arms and looked at the Monitor.

"I've found that the Devil Gene is not normal..."

She said softly. I scoffed.

"That's it?"

I asked, looking at her with disappointment. Lemon growled.

"If you would've let me finish my sentence, you would've heard more!"

She exclaimed angrily. I turned my gaze from the monitor to look at Lemon.

"You've changed Lemon… what happened to you?"

I asked as Lemon looked up at me. Her eyes seemed to flash for A moment. It may have been A trick of the light, but it scared me for some reason.

"What happens in my life is of no concern to you, now let's get back to what we were discussing, shall we?"

She declared as she turned back to the monitor. I turned back as well.

"I also found that his parents were not normal either"

Lemon started. I felt A cold air mass move over my shoulders, causing me to shiver.

"What do you mean that they weren't normal?"

I asked as the Monitor showed A histogram of values.

"Emperor's parent colors were Gold and White, right?"

Lemon asked me as her fingers went across the KeyBoard once again. The table of values vanished and A complex Color Wheel appeared on the Monitor.

"If you were to combine Gold and White, you would get A lighter shade of Gold, but Emperor is not Gold"

She murmured to herself as she studied the Color Wheel.

"My question is what happened to make him A Green color rather than Gold"

Lemon told me as she looked at me. I returned her gaze with an annoyed gaze.

"How does Emperor's color have anything to do with the Devil Gene?"

I asked as I noticed that she was fidgeting with her hands.

"Are you nervous or something Lemon?"

I asked her as I looked at her fingers. They seemed to have wires that were tightly wound around her fingers. I laughed to myself.

_It's probably one of her nervous habits._

I told myself. Lemon looked back up at me.

"I...I…"

She started as I looked back at the screen. She cleared her throat.

"I'm fine Cynder, even you don't think I am"

She grouched as she looked at the screen with me.

"Anyways, Emperor's color is different than his projected outcome"

She started as she went over the KeyBoard once again. The histogram was then replaced with A Genealogy flow chart.

"I looked into Emperor's past and found that none of his family had the Devil Gene"

She continued, but I cut her off.

"Then how does he have it?

I asked. Lemon took A deep breath.

"Let me finish please"

She said evenly.

"It was then that I found something odd: it wasn't until that I found that Halcyon's father, Gold, had the Devil Gene"

Lemon said with her voice becoming wavery. I turned my attention from the screen to look back at her. She was looking in disbelief at the screen.

"Gold then became the husband to his mother Siren after dropping his first wife"

She said slowly. Then she fell silent. I was amazed by how intricate her works were. It was then that I realized why I put her in this place.

"Wait"

I started. Lemon looked up at me.

"How's it possible that he could've re-married?"

I started.

"I thought we had an island-wide rule that said that this can't happen"

I finished with an ominous tone. Lemon looked up at me in fear.

"Are you upset with me Cynder?"

She asked fearfully as I saw her start to quiver.

"I'm more surprised and concerned that upset for starters"

Still, Lemon did not stop quivering. I turned my attention back to the Monitor.

"This is exactly why that rule was put into place"

I growled to myself as I watched licks of flame come from the corners of my mouth.

"W-what's g-going t-to-h-happen-n-now?"

She stammered. I was astounded by this fact.

"You know"

I started while I pointed to the Monitor.

"I think that I solved the reason for Emperor's Devil Gene"

I said as I looked at Rojo. suddenly, A thought ran through my mind.

_What if John is responsible for everything that's been going on? If Emperor fought him and received the Devil Gene when he fought him in his awakening,wouldn't it mean that Pain Split caused the Devil Gene to move from Abyss to Emperor?_

Lemon sprang out of her chair.

"Are you serious!?"

She said as she put both of her hands on my shoulders, nearly knocking the lizard off of my left shoulder. The lizard ran down my back and to the floor, where it ran up the table leg and scampered across the tabletop to look at the Devil Gene information that was portrayed on the Monitor.

"If I wouldn't have said it, I wouldn't have meant it"

I snorted as I shrugged of Lemon's surprised grasp to walk over to Rojo.

"That was incredibly rude"

I heard Lemon mutter under her breath. I half-smiled to myself as I walked to Rojo. as I made my way over to the table he was on, A substance started causing my walk over to the table A little more difficult.

"What's on th-"

I started to call to Lemon, but I didn't need an answer. I knew that this was blood, but I didn't know where it had come from. I then looked at Rojo. He seemed to be asleep, unmoving.

"I saw it Cynder"

Lemon said with half-annoyance and half-anger in her voice.

"I would offer to clean it up"

I said. Lemon stopped cleaning tools and looked at me with interest.

"Really?"

She said with A hint of hopefulness in her voice.

"But I think that I would end up only spilling more blood in the process"

I said with A smile. Lemon turned from my gaze with unamusement.

"You know I have Hemophobia Cynder"

Lemon said quietly as she started taking rocks out of Rojo's legs. I watched Lemon for the entirety of the time that she needed to take out all of them. It was interesting to see that Lemon had Hemophobia, but was able to help others that often had spilled blood coming from their body. When Lemon was done, most of Rojo's arms and legs were covered in Gauze and two lines of bloody rocks were placed next to Rojo's unmoving body.

"He's still alive?"

I asked in amazement. Lemon nodded.

"I can feel A pulse, but it's very weak"

She announced as she took off the leather gloves I never saw her put on in the first place. I felt something run up my leg, up my back, and place itself on my shoulder. I looked at my shoulder to see my pet lizard Slayer look at me with beady eyes.

" How were you able to check his pulse and confirm that he was alive if you didn't listen for A heartbeat or press your fingers against his neck?"

I asked as Lemon went to the opposite side of the room to get something from A storage closet. She returned from the closet with A bucket and A mop.

"I would appreciate it if would clean this up for me"

She said as she gave me both of the items.

"And what are you going to be doing?"

I asked as I snapped my fingers. Water appeared in the bucket.

"I've staved off my reactions to my fears, so now, I'm going into the nearest corner to cower"

Lemon said as she started to shake again. I was about to open my mouth to speak when she fainted. Slayer hissed on my shoulder. I shushed the lizard and continued to clean the blood off of the floor.

"Why is it everywhere that I go, someone has to faint with me around?"

I asked myself as I dumped the bloody water out of the bucket and into A small grate I found in the floor. I then walked back to the storage closet, but as I made my way to the closet, A wave of cold air passed over me, causing me shiver for A couple of seconds. What was odd about this was that Slayer never hissed or curled around my neck to keep heat. Often, individuals saw me with Slayer on my shoulder and they would confuse Slayer with being my pet, but it's actually shared between Lemon and I. Lemon was the one who had created Slayer in her Lab. it was actually her first creation in this setting! Suddenly, I was remembering how he had come to be.

_She explained to me how she had created Slayer, and it's interesting how she did this. Lemon took A dead Assassin Lizard that she shot with an arrow and de-spined it back at the lab. She burned the spines and the took a DNA sample of the lizard. After this, she created A body for the new lizard. She told me that she was inspired with animals from other places, so she created A body that portrayed all of her likings from every lizard that she knew of. She told me that she created this lizard cell by cell in her lab, but I don't think she did, but what I did understand was her final addition to Slayer. This was adding Magic to the lizard. When Lemon presented this project to me, I was infuriated at first. I thought she was wasting her time building lizards, but when she explained to me that this was just the first step in her "Genetic Engineering Program". I remembered asking her how this lizard could be used in A combative setting, but she told me in A roundabout way that the lizard was not to be used for that situation. I also remember telling her that if it wasn't to be used in this way, that I would be the one to name it. Lemon was ok with that so I named it the best thing I could think of at the time, which was Slayer._

By the time I had finished my flashback, I found myself standing by Rojo's side. It was odd to see him on an Operating Table. Next to his body was A bloody knife. The knife was so well kept, that I could see my reflection perfectly in it, as if it was A mirror.

"Rojo?"

I called softly to him. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly.

"Wh-what's going on?"

He started as he groaned again.

"Where am i?"

He asked softly as he tried to sit up.

"Do me A favor and don't get up"

I told him as I gently pushed him back to his original resting position on the table. Rojo looked at me, then past me at something else.

"What's Lemon doing in the corner there?"

He asked softly. I didn't even need to look to know that he was mentioning her cowering in the corner.

"She's just going through A bout of Hemophobia"

I said dismissively while I looked at the extensive use of Gauze and cotton that was keeping Rojo's scars from expelling any more blood.

"Hemo-whatia?"

Rojo asked as he closed his eyes once again. I chuckled to myself, which sent some embers to the floor. Just then, Slayer ran off of my shoulder, down my arm, and jumped from it, onto the table. He landed with A clang on the table along with some scratching sounds.

"What was that?"

Rojo asked softly with A soft moan.

"It's my pet lizard"

I said as I looked back at Lemon. She had stopped cowering in the corner, as I saw that she wasn't there anymore.

_For someone who fought Rojo, she's interesting. How could she fight Rojo, but be scared of mostly everything?_

I asked myself as I watched Slayer run all over Rojo, tearing open the Gauze that Lemon had put on Rojo's wounds.

"Slayer!"

I hissed. The lizard stopped running over Rojo and looked at me.

"Come here"

I commanded the lizard. The lizard jumped off of Rojo and walked around him, jumped off of the table, to my arm, where he crawled up my arm and settled on my shoulder.

"Don't you know that you have claws!?"

I hissed to the lizard. Slayer looked up at me with his beady eyes once more.

"Look at what you did to Rojo!"

I said as I took him off of my shoulder and placed him in my hand so that he could look at Rojo, who was bleeding once again.

"I think that you're going to have to take A step back Cynder"

I heard Lemon say as she pushed past me. She got on her knees and and started scrubbing the floor with rubbing alcohol. She worked furiously scrubbing all the area of the floor that had blood on it. When Lemon was about to go to the next spot, I tapped her shoulder.

"What is it Cynder?"

She asked with frustration in her voice.

"Rojo is bleeding again"

I said as I pointed to him. Lemon growled to herself.

"How did he start bleeding again?"

She asked herself angrily as she got up from her work in progress. She ran over to Rojo and moaned to herself.

"Did you let Slayer walk over Rojo?"

She asked as she turned back to me.

"I did. I really didn't think that he would've caused that much damage"

My voice trailed off as Lemon went back to work on Rojo's wounds.

"You should've known that Slayer has extremely sharp claws"

She muttered to herself as she worked. I didn't feel welcome anymore, so I used the Teleporter to exit the Lab. I waited for the object to work, and I then went through the teleportation procedure. When I opened my eyes, I was on top of the CourtHouse.

"Well that's just great"

I growled to myself.

_At least this gives me time to think about the Devil Gene and what happened to Lemon_

I told myself as I looked off into the morning sunrise.

_The Devil Gene is something that's passed down from generation to generations_

I recalled.

_It's only through the generations that certain traits are passed down to the next of kin. From there, the child then receives something from every generation before, and something from the new generation_

I thought.

_But what makes Emperor so special is the fact that he isn't what color he was supposed to be and the fact that he inherited the Devil Gene from his father, or was it his brother?_

I wanted to know the reasons for these things, but everything that I knew of now was was given to me by Lemon.

_She taught me how to read, how to write, how to build simple things, and how to build computers. There were some things that she didn't teach me, and the biggest one was Magic. It took me many revolutions, but I eventually was able to use it efficiently and effectively. I learned it from NorthWind and Frostbite._

The only thing that bothered me still was the fact that all of this was going on. I wanted to know what exactly was at play here.

_If Emperor loses control of himself again, there's no telling what he could do._

I told myself. I sat down on the side of the roof and let the sun wash over me. The sun brought warmth to my body, easing the tensions that ate at my insides.

_How am I supposed to protect the United Islands if my husband-to-be is A threat himself?_

I thought as I looked at the ground. I heard running coming from the road. I looked up from the ground and from my thoughts to see Venom running up the the CourtHouse.

"What are you you doing here so early Venom?"

I asked from the roof. Venom looked up from his current path and stumbled, tripping over his own feet, which caused him to fall the to the ground. He looked up at me with A scowl.

"I needed to run something here for Halcyon"

He told me as he brushed himself off. He then looked up at me when he had finished dusting himself off.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to watch the sunrise with you"

He said as he jumped from the ground. He landed next to me on the roof, causing some of the tiles come off of the roof. I watched them fall to the ground and shatter. I looked up at Venom, who was looking at me sheepishly.

"I'm probably going to be repairing that am I?"

He asked fearfully. I nodded slightly.

"I guess so then"

He said as he flopped down next to me.

"So, whatcha want to talk about?"

He asked me as he turned to look at the sunrise.


	21. Chapter 20 (Insatiable Desire)

Chapter 20 Insatiable Desire

Abyss's P.O.V

I needed to find more ways to gain power, and I knew exactly what I was going to do to get it.

"Ivo!"

I called sharply. I was in Bowser's Castle, sitting on the throne that was made for him. It was made of Gold, Silver and Platinum and was intricately designed with ribbons of Black and Silver lines among the throne itself. The arms were made of Red Oak that were polished so much, they reflected the candlelight that the chandelier casted above me. Looking at them for A mere second, I could tell that they had been worn by countless times of being slammed by angry fists. The head of the chair was high above my head, but I didn't care. This was my rightful place, and I knew it. There were tapestries that depicted me fighting the battles that I had already fought with Emperor and his… friends. The room was mostly open, except for the statues I had the koopas make of me. There was A red carpet that led up to my throne. Everything around here was to my liking, and if anyone didn't like what I said, they were killed.

_There's been at least Twenty that have tried to go against me_

I laughed to myself as A door opened and Ivo walked nervously into the room. He was careful not to step onto the Red carpet that led up to the throne.

"Yes Master Abyss?"

He replied nervously. I gave him A wicked smile.

"You're going to help me ascertain my true strength"

I stated as I rose from the throne.

"And how's that going to be?"

He asked as he started to tremble. I stretched and motioned to the tapestries as I started to speak.

"Every time that I fought, what happened at the end?"

I asked Ivo. he looked at the tapestries and thought for A second.

"You've always lost at the narrowest margin Master Abyss"

Ivo said softly as shook even more.

"That's right!"

I said as I stabbed my finger at him.

"If I continue to lose at the narrowest margin, then it means I have A weakness that I haven't dealt with yet'

I finished as I walked down the steps and stopped in front of Ivo.

"I agree with you completely master John"

Ivo said as he shook off the shakes he had and stood up straight before me.

"Good"

I said with finality. I walked past Ivo and just as I was about to leave the room, I stopped.

"Have you seen Bowser lately?"

I asked without looking at him.

"I haven't Master John"

Ivo said oddly. I turned halfway to look at him.

"When do you remember seeing him last?"

I asked as I saw what Ivo was up to. He was working on A weapon.

"The last time I saw him, he had jumped off of that ledge when you were…"

His voice trailed off as he looked up at me while he was working on the weapon.

"Huh, interesting"

I told myself as I walked through the double doors into the hall. There had been A complete change in the castle's decor. I had all of Bowser's tapestries and paintings taken down and I had them replaced with mine. I had the G.E.N.E.S.I.S rebuilt, and I had disbanded the entirety of Bowser's army. Often when I walked the halls, I would see the Mastermind out of the corner of my eye watching me. I never understood why it wanted to watch me so much, but it bothered me for some reason. Just as I turned the corner to go down to ground level, the Mastermind appeared in front of me. Startled, I jumped back in fear and got into my fighting stance.

"A little jumpy today, aren't we?"

It asked with A laugh. I growled and resumed my original standing position.

"What're you doing here?"

I asked angrily. The Mastermind shook his head.

"Why don't you ask me where you can get all of the power that you need?"

It countered. My breath caught in my throat.

_How does it know what I want?_

I asked as the Mastermind turned from me and started floating down the stairs. I couldn't get over how different the Mastermind was from everything that I've seen before.

_I don't know what it is about that thing, but whatever it is, it isn't something that I would want to mess with. Even though it looks weak, I've seen it break A yoshi's neck, specifically Mako's, without any problem whatsoever_

I thought this as I walked down the stairs. When I had reached the floor, the Mastermind was nowhere to be found, however, I felt something pulling me. I never felt such A strong pull from anywhere since the Devil Gene had worked its way into my mind. I knew that my vessel could take control when it wanted to, but I knew this wasn't dangerous since he had the same desires that I had. Looking around, I saw that nothing had changed. It was then that the room became colder. I started walking without telling my body to. The pull was becoming stronger now. I didn't feel any magic energy, but it felt that way.

_If I felt Magic Energy, that would indicate A spell._

I thought as I started to walk down the right side of the hallway. It became colder every time I took A step down this hallway. I looked at the walls to see if anything had changed.

_No! Stop, please! I can prove that I'm worthy. Don't do this!_

I heard A voice cry out in my mind as I neared the door. Suddenly, I was thrusted into A vision. Something had happened here not too long ago, and I was about to see what exactly had happened. I quickly put my back to the wall so I could watch the events play out. My vision flashed white for A second and then when I opened my eyes again, my vision was wavery. I saw Bowser talking to the Mastermind as they both walked very slowly down the hallway.

"It was one mistake Mastermind"

Bowser said quietly, but the Mastermind shook his head slowly.

"There's no excuse for failure Bowser; I have given you many more chances that you have given your troops"

The Mastermind said quietly. It was then that they passed by where I was standing.

"I need more time Mastermind; you know this!"

Bowser protested as they stood by the door.

"Time is of the essence Bowser"

The Mastermind stated as he reached for the doorknob.

"You need to show me one thing that you have accomplished in your time under my supervision, then, maybe i'll let you off easier"

The Mastermind stated as it looked at Bowser. I saw genuine fear in Bowser's eyes.

"Just one thing Bowser"

The Mastermind reminded him as it reached for the door once again.

"What about making Abyss into John?"

He asked the Mastermind as it turned the doorknob. The Mastermind stopped turning the doorknob and looked at Bowser. I saw the surrounding area glow Red for A second. After the glow died down, I saw Bowser put both hands over his eyes. He started crying out in pain as if he was suffering. The Mastermind turned back to the door and opened it. The door opened with A very low creaking sound that sent shivers down my spine. I was supposed to be the one inducing nightmares, but now that I saw how much damage the Mastermind could do, I rightfully remembered why I kept so much reverence to this individual. When Bowser took his hands from his eyes, I saw that they were melting. Long rivers of disgusting liquid started trickling down his arms as he dropped to his knees in pain.

"That was your one try"

The Mastermind stated as I looked to the door. There was A space just large enough to put something behind the door. It was then that I noticed that the door had A very strong looking lock on the outer doorknob. It looked like this door was supposed to keep things in, and never let them out. I started to shiver for some reason.

"You were one of my greatest assets Bowser; it's such a shame that you couldn't perform"

The Mastermind said with mock pity as he grabbed Bowser by his neck and threw him through the door and into the space behind the door. Bricks started to fall from somewhere above the door just as the Mastermind started to shut the door. When the door was closed, the Mastermind locked the door and brushed the dust off of its fingers as it started to float down the hallway. As the mastermind floated, it sang A song that sent chills up and down my back.

_Ninety years without slumbering, his life seconds numbering_

_stopped, short, never to go again when the old man died_

My vision flashed White once again and I found myself face to face in with the Mastermind in front of me.

"Is there something wrong Abyss?"

He rasped when my vision had cleared. Startled, I jumped back A few feet. The Mastermind laughed.

"Surely there has to be some reason why you're just standing there looking at this door, isn't there?"

He asked as I noticed something dripping from its fingers. I swallowed hard and thought of what I was going to say.

_I think I just witnessed the death of Bowser, but I can't know for sure. _

I started to tell myself.

_How am I going to say what I need to without letting this...thing know what I know?_

I asked myself as the Mastermind reached for the door.

"I was looking at the door because I wanted to know what was behind it"

I said tensely. The Mastermind turned from the action to face me halfway.

"That was precisely why I was opening it; to show you what is behind it"

The thing stated as it undid the lock with its finger.

_I've just dug myself A hole that I may not get out of._

I told myself, realizing that I may not be living soon after this. The Mastermind opened the door to show me A brick wall that was behind the door.

"You may be asking yourself why is the Mastermind showing me A brick wall?"

The thing stated as it motioned to the wall with its hand. I nodded slightly, not wanting to show the fear that I held.

"Break down the wall, and then you will see why I am showing you this"

The thing urged me as I slowly walked to the wall. I got into my fighting stance and side kicked the wall so hard, most of the bricks shattered into shards and Black lighting chains crawled over the leg that I had struck the wall with. Pain shot up my leg as I returned to my fighting position, but I ignored it and focused on the Mastermind, which was looking at the wall with interest. Smoke filled the hallway, causing me to cough from the heavy smoke that billowed all around me. When the dust settled, I blinked A couple of times to make sure that I was seeing correctly.

"Is that?"

I started slowly with fear and amazement. The Mastermind laughed sinisterly.

"Many have fallen to my hands since they couldn't deliver results"

The Mastermind started as it brushed past me to stand on the biggest skeleton behind the wall.

_Did Bowser actually die to the hands of the Mastermind?_

I asked myself as the thing tapped the skull of the biggest skeleton.

"Those who can't deliver are cut off, _Permanently_"

The thing stated as it looked up at me with its glowing Red pinpoints of light it had for eyes. My breath caught in my throat.

_What if the Mastermind led me here to kill me?_

I asked myself as the Mastermind started to speak again.

"I know that our adversaries have started planning for a battle to eliminate us and to take the Devil Gene from you"

The thing started. I started feeling numb.

_How much does this being know?_

I asked myself as it exited the area behind the door and stood next to me.

"This area is not for you if you keep bringing good fortunes and progress to me"

The Mastermind stated as it closed the door.

" I have shown progress, havn't I?"

I asked as the Mastermind as it started floating down the dark and misty hallway once again. I followed close to it for some reason. I had no idea why the Mastermind would show me such A gruesome sight, but I felt that it had something to do with how I was going to gain more power. As I walked, I looked at the doors in the dim light I was radiating. Oddly, all of them were labeled CONDEMNED for some reason. It was then that I started feeling energy course through me. I had no idea what was going on.

"You have the quest for energy if I'm not mistaken"

The Mastermind stated as it stopped floating. We were now at the other end of the hallway. There was no door at the end of this hallway, but the Mastermind vanished from my view. I was walking the hallway with no one more than myself.

"That's one of my two goals, yes"

I stated as I looked around for the Mastermind.

"See the wall in front of you?"

The Mastermind asked as I felt A cold chill roll down my back.

"Yeah, what about it?"

I asked absently as I looked to the door that was supposedly here.

"If you were to knock down this wall here, you would find exactly what you're looking for"

The Mastermind rasped as it slowly materialized into my view in front of me. At this point, I wondered how far this was going to go.

"Alright"

I said as I got into my fighting position. The Mastermind started to hover next to me.

I asked myself as I let A massive side kick destroy the wall in front of me. I shut my third eyelid so that I could see what was going on. Shards of bricks flew everywhere while dust clouded the area. I heard A snap and the dust appeared to vanish in A second. I turned quickly to see an individual I hadn't seen in quite A while.

"What are you doing here?"

I asked him tensely as he looked with A bewildered expression at the wall. The Mastermind was nowhere to be seen now. While I contemplated where that thing would've went, Venom started to speak.

"What's going on here!?"

He asked as I turned my attention back to the wall. I looked at the ground momentarily as I felt A feeling of dread wash over me.

"I'm going to take the rest of this syndicate into my hands Venom"

I stated as I looked to see what was behind this wall.

"Abyss…"

Venom started as I started throwing chunks of rubble into the hallway. I saw him dodge the chunks as I cleaned the area behind the wall. It didn't take long before I noticed something. In the middle of the wall was another vial; very similar to the Anti-Matter-Core.

"I don't feel that this is going to end well for some reason"

Venom said as I saw him look around nervously. It was then that I saw A black mist move from the wall, to stop behind Venom. Seeing that this wasn't important, I turned my attention back to the rubble.

"There needs to be A sacrifice in order for this to take place"

I heard the Mastermind rasp as I heard the cracking of bones. I snapped around to see Venom on the floor...dead. My breath caught in my throat.

"No…"

I started as I ran to Venom's side. I saw his spine poking out of his back, along with pools of blood that were forming around him on the floor. The Mastermind laughed as it dragged Venom by his neck to the vial. I didn't move when the Mastermind took Venom from the floor; I just looked in shock at the pools of blood on the floor. I was shaking slightly from the rage that wanted to explode out of me. Fighting the rage that was boiling inside me, I stood up and faced the Mastermind, who had placed Venom under the vial that was in the wall.

"How is this going to help me?"

I seethed as I watched the blood that was still flowing out of Venom, start to pool at the bottom of his body. The Mastermind laughed and turned to me.

"I have observed that you cannot act by yourself, so I'm going to infuse Venom with John and I'm going to inhabit you Abyss"

The Mastermind stated as his eyes flashed different colors. The lights started out White, then changed to Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, and then back to White as the Mastermind turned back to the wall, where the Blood of Venom had started crawling up the wall. In the dim light of the hallway, his blood looked like sinuous liquid as the blood settled into various cracks and divots in the wall.

"This is where we will triumph Abyss"

It stated as I suddenly saw what had happened. The blood of Venom had created an image of the Mastermind on the wall. As I gasped, I felt Pain rip across my body. This made me stagger backwards and I almost tripped as I saw something come out of my chest. I didn't understand much at this point, but what I did understand was fear. This was A feeling that I hadn't experienced in such A long time. What was coming out of my chest was similar to oil in consistency and by how the light was reflected off of it. The stream continued coming out of my chest as I staggered forwards. I was gasping for air now. My vision was starting to become cloudy and I was losing feeling to my limbs.

_Is this really going to be everything that i've been looking for?_

I asked myself as I saw the Mastermind turn into Black vapor in front of Venom, who was still lying motionless.

"Before there can be power, there must be pain"

The Mastermind stated as I saw the oily substance that came from my chest form into the evil spirit of John.

"You're sure that this is going to work?"

He asked with A scoff. The Mastermind's voice sounded in my head.

"I'm sure that it will work; I have done this many times before"

It said as the blood turned A bright Red and started to glow. The Black mist that the Mastermind was formed into A straight line of vapor and started to turn towards me. As the mist adjusted itself, John vaporized into the sinuous liquid and the liquid started slithering up the ground slowly as the mist started towards me.

"That's int-"

I started as the mist started traveling into my left nostril. The mist made the nasal passage numb as I inhaled the mist. I watched the Black oily liquid travel up Venom's body, and just as the liquid was about to enter Venom's open mouth, pain coursed over me again. The pain was so intense, I thought I was melting from the inside. My lungs burned and I started to cough. The coughing grew in intensity until I coughed blood onto the floor. I had gone from A standing position, to A pained kneeling position. I had both of my hands on the ground to steady myself as I knelt on the floor. I brought my head up from looking at the blood on the floor to see the last bit of the oily and sinuous liquid go into Venom's nose. Then, things started to get weird. Venom opened his eyes… which didn't look like his to start with. No more rays of light shot from his left eye. John used Venom's arm and hand to take off the eyepatch. It was then that I could finally see what was under the eyepatch that Venom had. _It was an empty eye socket._

I had no idea how Venom could still move, but I knew that things were about to get even more interesting as the bones that protruded out of Venom's back started to move inwards and reset themselves as my vision started to go Black. I was able to get up, but almost all of my vision had gone away. From the vision I had left, I saw Venom start to twitch and shake as the blood on the wall started to lose its brilliance. As Venom continued to shake and twitch, I saw his normal eyes go all Black. The pupil dilated to encompass the entire eye, and then I watched the pupil shrink to the vertical slitted pupil that I knew of too well. As my vision was swallowed with the Blackness that ringed my eyes, my hearing became even more acute. I could not see anymore, but I felt even more powerful. I heard Venom shake some more, and then everything went quiet. For A moment, the only thing I could hear was my pained breathing, and something shuffling around. I heard Venom get up, and as soon as he finished this action, my vision returned, but it wasn't like it was prior to this event. I looked at Venom through these new eyes. I could see his bone structure through his scales, and heat signatures. I watched Venom as he studied his hands and moved his limbs. I knew that this was John getting used to Venom's body, but I had the premonition that this wouldn't stop here.

"This one isn't as strong as Abyss"

John stated as he looked around using Venom's body.

"Abyss has so much more tolerance to pain than Venom does"

I started to say, but I was immediately taken aback by how my voice had changed. I had the raspiness of the Mastermind's voice, but I still had the deepness of my voice. John scoffed.

"Venom was already dead you know, so I have no idea how I was able to inhabit his body"

John stated as he turned back to the wall. The blood was slowly causing its way to the floor in the chips that were in the wall. I thought that they were going to make it all the way to the floor, but my breath caught in my throat when I saw the lines of blood start to go into the object where the Anti-Matter-Core was placed. Somehow, the object had been taken out of my chest, and was placed in the wall. I watched the blood fill up the object until it was three-quarters full. John then ripped the object from the wall, taking some bricks and more rubble with it, and plunged the object into Venom's chest. I watched the entire action with interest. Venom's body gasped for air as I laughed inwardly. Suddenly I heard the Mastermind's voice in my head.

_For now, I'm going to inhabit this body. If you do well, I will continue to lend you my power._

It stated as I saw water dripping from the ceiling. I watched the dripping water fall like drops of blood from the crack in the ceiling. There was A puddle of water on the floor and I wanted to see my reflection. I leaned over the water so I could see my face. When I saw my face, my breath caught in my throat.

"How?"

I asked myself breathlessly with pure incredulity as I saw how I had changed. I no longer had my double ringed eyes that were Purple and Orange in color, but I now had one Red colored eye. That was my left eye, which glowed A deep Red color. It was similar to the blood that was on the wall not too long ago. My right eye was where everything was at. My right eye was A triple ringed one, with the colors Red, Purple and Blue. the Blue color was the smallest and the innermost ring, while the next biggest color ring was Red, Followed by the Purple ring. My right eye glowed with these colors and as the rings started to glow, A sparkling mist started to be released as I blinked A couple of times as I adjusted to this new form. Looking closer in the water caused me to be startled for A brief moment. In the very center of both of my pupils, which were very hard to see since they were almost nonexistent, were White pinpoints of light.

_If you want to stop admiring how much I've changed you, we can test our new abilities if you so wish_

The Mastermind's voice resounded in my head as I looked down the hallway to see the other door at the other end of the hallway. I looked behind me to see if Venom was still here, but he was gone.

_I guess he doesn't want to join in the fun_

The Mastermind stated as I started to walk down the hallway. I didn't know where I was going, but I felt that the Mastermind did. It was then that I felt light… very light. It was like I was almost weightless! I looked down at my feet to see that I wasn't walking, but I was floating over the floor.

"Interesting"

I told myself as I floated over the floor.

_I need to finish disposing of Bowser's troops. _

The Mastermind started as we neared the middle of the room again.

_I hope you will enjoy helping me with this small job, won't you?_

It finished as I found myself in front of the door that led to the top of the castle.

"It seems that this place is dead Mastermind"

I started as I opened the door. As I opened the door, A cloud of dust rushed into the room. This momentarily blinded me, and I had to rub my eyes for A moment to get the dust out of them. For some reason, I didn't have the ability to use my third eyelid.

_I'm starting to wonder why this is_

I told myself as I looked outside. Everything was razed. Anything that was left standing, was hanging by shreds, or was crumbling rubble. The thin bridge was still standing, but looking over the side of the bridge made me smile internally. Bodies of koopas littered the ground everywhere.

_There's A lot yet that we have to do before you can start wreaking havoc_

The Mastermind told me as I looked back to where I was heading. As I took my gaze from the ground to look back at where I was going, I saw Venom at the top of the castle. I had to squint my eyes to see him, but I knew that this wasn't A trick of the light.

_Wonder what he's up to there_

I told myself as I started to float over the ground. The sky was an Angry Red and Orange color that looked unnatural anywhere else. The clouds seemed to boil in the sky with the backdrop that they were against. I neared the top of the castle, scaling the stairs to reach the top. I was going to find out what Venom was doing here, and what the Mastermind had planned for me.

"Venom"

I said sharply as I stopped at the edge of the topmost stair. Venom turned halfway to see me.

"What is it Abyss?"

He asked me as he turned his attention back to the sky.

"I was brought here by the Mastermind for some reason"

I started as the pain in my lungs started up again.

"Interesting, isn't it?"

Venom stated as his scale color turned from A deep Purple color, to A Purple and Black color.

"What's so interesting?"

I asked as I stood next to him.

"That when you're inhabited by something other than yourself, you gain so much power"

He said ominously as he looked from the sky, to the ground.

"I've known that for A while now John"

I said, rolling my eyes. He laughed.

"I'm starting to wonder if this will actually work"

He said as he looked at me.

"I'm getting the feeling that we're going to find out what exactly we're doing here soon"

I said as I looked into the distance. I thought I was something White in color moving in the distance. Whatever it was, it was large and it made the ground shake every time it took A step

_This is what I wanted you to take care of_

The Mastermind told me as I watched John take something out from Venom's boot. The object that he produced looked similar to something I saw in Bowser's lab. It was an object that had two cylinders the were attached to each other by A joint in the middle of the object. Looking into the end of this object gave you the ability to see objects that were far away; better than what your eyes could see. He raised the object to his eyes while I looked at the object in the distance.

"What do you see John?"

I rasped. Hearing my change in voice, John lowered the object from his eyes and looked at me funny.

"What's wrong with you?"

He asked sarcastically as he looked back into the distance.

"My lungs hurt really bad"

I said with A strained voice. By the time I had finished the statement, I was gasping for breath.

"Well, I don't want to make you any more upset, but I think that we have A problem to deal with"

He said as he pointed at the white object that was in the distance.

"Have you figured out what it is?"

I asked angrily as I looked up from the blood I had coughed onto the ground. Just then I felt A numbness settle over me.

_This will be your first assessment Abyss; don't fail me_

The Mastermind stated. The pain in my lungs went away slowly as I stood up. I looked off into the distance to see something coming towards us slowly. John shifted uneasily.

"It looks like A living skeleton of something… I have no idea what it is"

John stated as he put the object back in Venom's boot. I shook my head to clear the dizziness and pain that was clouding my vision.

_Why is it now that I'm going through so much pain?_

I asked myself as the creature came into focus.

"What… is that?"

I breathed as I looked in horror at what was coming towards us.

_Do you remember when I showed you those bones?_

The Mastermind asked me as the creature stopped A distance away from where we were standing.

"Yeah, what about it?"

I said aloud. John looked at me inquisitively. He then shook his head and looked back at the creature.

_If you didn't know, I was the one that killed Bowser, and now, you're going to kill him again; For good._

The Mastermind stated as I felt energy flow through me.

"I'm unsure that this vessel that I am currently inhabiting is capable of any power"

I heard John say as I steadied my breathing.

_How am I going to fight when I have major drawbacks?_

I asked myself as the creature let out A long and terrible roar that shook everything around it. As the roar resounded through the area, Magma dripped from the creature's mouth.

"I didn't know that the dead was capable of causing damage"

John said as he stretched his arms and legs.

_Is he really going to try to fight that thing with his current vessel?_

I asked myself as another wave of pain swept over me, causing me to shake.

_I did not ask you to ask questions._

The Mastermind stated sharply. This caused me to go dizzy with pain.

"Then how am I supposed to win this battle?"

I asked as I started to study this creature. It did look like Bowser, but it was horribly mutilated. Pieces of flesh and scales hung off portions of the creature's body as magma continued oozing out of the spaces between the creature's bones. I was first drawn to the claws of this creature. They looked like to be made of steel, but they didn't melt for some reason. They were long and curved at the tips. They reminded me of talons when I looked at them. I could see the individual bones that made up the creature's feet. The shin bones looked very powerful, as they were thick and had many dents in them, but no cracks that indicated damage. There was no distinguishable hip bone, but there were sockets that the femurs attached to. The midsection of this creature seemed to consist only of half-circles of bone that stopped at the neck and where the arms of this creature came from. Looking at the arms, I could see the same thing that I saw when I had studied the creature's legs. They were dented, not cracked. As I continued to study the arms, I noticed something odd. The metal bands that were around its wrists were still there, but there were no bands on the shoulders. Oddly enough, I found them on the elbows of this creature. The bands seemed to have lost their Black coloring and the spikes lost their color as well. The bands were now A rusty color and the spikes were now an Ivory White color… just like the color of this creature's bones. The bones that made up the hands of this creature were visible and leaking magma as well. The fingers ended in the same shiny steel claws that I saw on the legs of this creature. I was then slowly drawn to the head of this creature, which made me think of the Nightmarish DeathBringers I had used to fight Luigi. Two long and pointed horns poked out of the creature's head, causing it look like something spawned out of the underworld. There were two eye sockets on the creature that were devoid of anything, except for two Angry and Deep Orange pinpoints of light that continued to leak magma

From the inside of this creature's eyes. The mouth of this creature was very similar to how my DeathBringers were. The jawline of this creature had three rows of teeth that lined the top and bottom of the jaw. All of the teeth were jagged and pointed like A sickle at the top of each tooth. Then I was drawn to the back of this creature. It had A shell like Bowser did, but the shell seemed to have veins now, as thin lines coursed all over the creature's back, among the sickly Yellow spikes that were all over its back. Looking to the top of this creature, I saw that it had A single spot of hair on the top of this creature's skull. It was an odd Maroon color that didn't leak any magma.

_YOU are not winning this battle, I am_

The Mastermind said with A hint of excitement that was manifested in my restlessness. I was hopping with my right foot, to my left foot and was swinging my arms as if I was walking fast in place.

"If this is your battle, by all means, use me to fight"

I said looking to John, who had already materialized DeathBringers and Blue and Gold spears that were on his back.

"You ready to take this thing on?"

John asked me as I coiled the muscles in my legs.

"Ready as i'll ever be boss"

I said with an evil smile as I launched from my place and as John used A DeathBringer as A mode of transport to engage in battle.


	22. Chapter 21 (Here We Go)

Chapter 21 Here we go

Rojo's P.O.V.

I needed to find ways to get around everything that was going on. We just had another meeting in the CourtHouse to decide how we were going to proceed now. The one question I was asking myself was how we were going to take care of Ignis.

_The lizard may be as big as an island himself_

I mused as I watched my trainees go through their forms. It was morning once again. One thing that I found that was partially odd to me was the fact that Emperor was going through the forms and exercises as well.

_What reason would he have to join in my army?_

I thought as the the trainees finished their form.

"Form two!"

I shouted. The trainees saluted me and started their next from as I started walking around the perimeter of the area. I was mostly focused on Marine, since he was advancing rapidly.

_I don't know what it is about him._

I thought as I noticed that there were only 25 of the 35 individuals that were supposed to be present. I also had noticed that they had organized themselves into five rows of five individuals with space for me to walk through.

_Maybe it is possible that they could learn_

I told myself. This caused me to laugh aloud. This action caused some of the individuals present to stop their form and look at me with odd expressions. I put my arms behind my back and focused on Marine. He was going through the form quickly and fluidly.

_He's actually getting everything right_

I said in my mind with amazement. Looking to the rest of the individuals, I saw that some weren't moving.

"Back to it!"

I barked loudly. Some flinched and some went back to their forms with jerky motions. I walked slowly back to the front of the area and looked at the trainees.

"Attention!"

I shouted. The trainees saluted me and took an easier stance.

"I can't stand to see some of you going through your forms"

I started. Some started to twitch and some started to sulk.

"There are those who are actually doing what they've been told… and I will congratulate them for it"

I continued. I looked directly at Marine, who was next to Sapphire.

"Marine, Sapphire and Emperor, stand with me at the front"

I commanded. The three walked from their places to stand next to me.

"These three have done an excellent job of maintaining their strength, coordination, and their fluidity, therefore, they will not be going through the rest of their forms"

I stated firmly motioning to them as I looked at the trainees. Emperor cleared his throat, which caused me to snap my attention away from the trainees.

"I believe that I am the one in charge here"

Emperor stated as he looked at me sternly. A chill ran down my back as he stared me down with narrowed eyes.

"Just let them off for today"

Emperor said as he shifted his gaze back to the trainees.

"You are all dismissed for today"

I said reluctantly as I looked back at Emperor, who was breathing heavily for some reason.

"You're actually tired Emperor?"

Marine asked in disbelief as the trainees streamed past us to exit the training area. This question got A stifled chuckle from Sapphire.

"That's hilarious; don't quit your job"

Emperor said angrily as he looked up at the morning sky. Everyone that I knew of was waking much earlier for some reason.

_Maybe it's because of everything that's changing_

I told myself as I watched Marine and Sapphire run through the gate. I looked up at the sky just as the gate slammed shut. The sudden sound made Emperor take his gaze from the sky and had it settle on the gate.

"I want to talk with you"

Emperor stated softly as he turned to face me. I had no time to react before he started speaking again.

"I'm sure you've been asked this before, but why are you so hard on your soldiers?"

He asked me as he started walking to the gate. Not wanting to be left alone, I followed him and fell into step beside him just as he reached the gate.

"I'm sure that you've heard the same answer every time the question was asked"

I replied smartly. Emperor opened the gate and nearly hit me as he opened the gate forcefully.

"It seems I missed"

Emperor said with A wry smile as he held the gate open for me.

"I was the one who missed"

I told him jokingly as I walked past him. He shut the gate and we fell in step with each other. As we walked, we watched the town start to come alive. Doors and gates opened and we watched as individuals went back to their daily grind.

"Where are you off to?"

Emperor asked me as we walked.

_That's an interesting question since I really have nothing to do today_

I told myself as I walked along. Some of the individuals waved to us and some just watched me walk by.

_I'm pretty sure that i've been A spectacle since the lines between the scales on my arms are now Black and more defined._

I thought as I looked up to see that we were in front of the CourtHouse.

"It really doesn't take long to get anywhere on the Administrative District, does it?"

Emperor asked with A little laugh.

"To answer your question, I kinda want to go to the Revelation Room"

My voice trailed off at the end of my sentence. Emperor took A sharp breath.

"And what would you do there?"

He asked tensely as he turned to me. I looked at Emperor.

"I'm not sure why I'm being drawn there too, but if we're both being drawn to that area, we should go there"

He said definitively as he started for the Revelation Room. I followed him around the side of the building to see Lemon running her finger along the lines that were cut into the Revelation Room's Ivory Doors. Emperor stopped in his tracks and held up his hand. I stopped close to Emperor and he craned his head to mouth the silent words _Watch This._ I took A casual pose as Emperor crept close to Lemon. She was murmuring something to herself. I wasn't close enough to understand what she was saying, but I wanted to see what Emperor was going to do. When Emperor was standing close to Lemon, he started to say something.

"What's u-"

He started. Lemon jumped and yelped in terror while she threw a spinning kick that sent Emperor sprawling to the ground. Emperor moaned on the ground while I looked at Lemon with complete disapproval. Lemon covered her mouth with her right hand and gasped in shock at what she had done. She ran over to Emperor, who was already up, sitting cross-legged on the ground. He looked up at Lemon with A huge smile on his face.

"Maybe you could've hit me harder"

Emperor said with A laugh. Lemon scoffed.

"Maybe I could've, but you also could've not scared me like you did"

She said scowling at Emperor. He shrugged and stood back up. I was starting openmouthed at Lemon.

"You're just gonna take that hit and shrug it off like it's nothing?"

I said in amazement to Emperor. He turned from reassuring Lemon that he was fine and looked at me sternly.

"It didn't hurt; there's no reason to fight back when I was the one who instigated this incident"

Emperor stated flatly. Lemon was quivering close where Emperor was standing.

"A-are y-you -g-gonna h-hurt m-me?"

She stammered. Emperor turned to her.

"Of course not; there's no need for me to hurt you"

He said with finality. Turning back to me, he started speaking again.

"Whatever is bringing us here may not be friendly"

He started. I was paying acute attention to Emperor's words since I knew that what he was saying could be true. I didn't understand why I was starting to become less…stern.

"Why are you here Lemon?"

I asked as she continued to trace the lines in the door absently.

"I can't explain it"

She murmured as she continued tracing the lines that were carved into the door.

"Then it's decided"

A new familiar voice stated. All three of us turned to see Halcyon standing with his arms crossed looking at us oddly.

"What brings all of you here?"

He started to ask as he narrowed his eyes at Emperor.

"And what specifically brings you here?"

He asked interestedly as he uncrossed his arms and stood himself next to Emperor.

"We all are feeling an unexplained pull to this room for some reason"

Lemon murmured as she continued running her fingers along the lines of the door. Halcyon pushed Emperor aside and proceeded to knock on the ivory doors. Emperor growled and steadied himself from falling. I had no idea how Emperor could take being pushed around so much, but it astounded me.

"Who's knocking?"

A partially muffled voice sounded behind the door.

"It's Halcyon and some others"

He said. The left door opened, knocking Lemon to the ground. She cried out in pain as Frostbite emerged from the darkness of the misty and moss-covered hallway.

"Terribly sorry Lemon; Are you ok?"

She asked as she helped Lemon to her feet. Lemon grumbled something under her breath as she got up with the help of Frostbite.

"I'll be fine, other things have hit me harder than that door has"

She said with narrowed eyes that were directed at me.

"When did you get back Frostbite?"

I asked as A wave of cold ran down my back as Halcyon entered the hallway. I followed close behind him, as I didn't want to see what would unfold from the situation that I may have started.

"Let's not get into the specifics of that now Rojo"

She replied quickly as the door closed behind us as Halcyon and I stopped at the section where the spears were. We went through the safety measures that the Revelation Room had and all of us entered the room. Everything was the same, except for A giant mound of something that looked like A lizard near the center of the room.

"You'll have to excuse our new guest Rojo; he's not used to seeing new individuals"

Frostbite explained to us as she stood in front of us. She pointed to the large mound of something.

"I'm well aware of this Frostbite"

Emperor said with annoyance. Halcyon nodded slightly.

"If you need someone to talk to about Ignis, than you can explain it to Rojo"

Halcyon said, dismissing Frostbite and grabbing Emperor by his shoulder, which caused him to wince as he practically dragged Emperor behind him. Lemon was shaking in her boots beside me.

"Halcyon's been A bit different lately, hasn't he?"

Frostbite remarked as she went on to stop Lemon's quivering.

_Too much has changed to make sense around here_

I told myself as I found myself standing close to the square of clear liquid in the center of the room. The inner doors to the Revelation Room slammed shut and the sound reverberated throughout the room. Then, something yawned close to where I was standing. I snapped my focus from Frostbite calming Lemon down, to A huge mouth that was ringed with insanely sharp teeth. The gaping mouth shut and I came face to face with A huge...Lizard.

"I haven't seen you before, could you tell me your name?"

The thing asked me. Even though it was was close to the ground, it towered over me with its colossal height. Waves of numbness and cold went all over my back as the huge lizard studied me.

_I'm not sure that this is A decoration that NorthWind and Frostbite put together_

I convinced myself as I turned to run. I only got about three steps away from the giant thing and was about to yell in fear, when the giant lizard snagged the side of my boot with one claw. An unusual squeak escaped my throat as I was maneuvered to face the giant lizard. Somehow, I felt relieved when I was in the presence of this creature.

" It's rude to run away from someone that's asked you A question; isn't it?"

The thing asked me. Somehow, I thought that I had seen this creature before.

_What would make me think of such A thing!? Those were tales and stories we told each other as hatchlings!_

" I have no intention of harming you young one"

The lizard said as it unhooked its claw from my boot.

"You look similar to another individual that I helped A long time ago"

The lizard said as it put A tip of one of its massive claws on my chest as it closed its eyes.

"So that's what they refer to you as"

The lizard said as it opened its eyes again. It was then that I noticed what they looked like. The base coloration of the eye was A Yellow color; similar to how the scale color of Lemon's scales were like. The vertical slitted pupil was Red in color. They were almost the same richness and hue that my scales were. For some reason, I felt that this creature didn't want to be confrontational. I felt fear, sadness, and guilt instead.

_I'm amazed that this creature looks so scary, but isn't much of A fighter_

I said in my mind as the creature took its claw of of my chest.

"So you're the one they call Rojo then?"

The lizard asked me as it focused its eyes on me. I felt like I was looking directly into the past by how old this creature looked.

_Should I say something in regards to that subject?_

I asked myself as I started to speak.

"Indeed I am Rojo, but who are you?"

I asked. The lizard drew A breath that disturbed the ground around me, causing dust and smoke come from the ground.

"It's rude to answer A question with A question, but I will tell you that my name is Ignis"

The creature said as it shifted its body so it could stand to what I believed was its full height.

"And who's the fine young individual that's standing next to you that's scared at the moment?"

Ignis asked me as I looked to see Lemon quivering in her boots next to me on my right side.

"That's Lemon Ignis; she's our scientist"

I told the creature as it settled back on the ground once more.

"This one seems to be much different than the rest"

Ignis said as his eyes shut once again. In my opinion, he seemed to be...tired. It seemed as if this creature had expended A lot of energy sometime not too long ago.

"What makes you say that Ignis?"

Lemon asked with contempt in her voice. Ignis started something that seemed to be A laugh, which was A series of short rumbling sounds that seemed to resound from the center of its body.

"What I didn't say was that she was different because you are not like her; Indeed you are very different from her, as is everyone in this very room"

The creature started. I was astounded by the sheer amount of wisdom this creature possessed. I had no idea how so much knowledge this creature could possess and could be emanating at the same time.

"I'm saying that Lemon is not entirely as one of your species is supposed to be, and that you Rojo, have the Fire Element residing in you"

Ignis stated as his eyes started to close again as he settled back to the ground.

"The Fire Element does not choose an individual at random, much like it didn't choose Marine to be the Water Element, Emperor to be the ruler, or me to be the Earth Element"

Ignis said as it slowed its breathing.

"How do you know all of this?"

Lemon asked as she slowly stopped quivering in her boots. By now, the High Council Members had gathered behind Lemon and I and had started to talk amongst themselves.

"I've been living on this plane of existence for many years now"

Ignis started as his left eye opened, revealing capillaries that were thin and blue against his eyes.

"You're saying that there's more than one plane of existence!?"

Lemon blurted. She immediately covered her mouth with her left hand. She looked up in nervousness at Ignis.

"I'm sorry for blurting like I did"

She said softly. Ignis chuckled, which sent the room into A soft rumble.

"You don't need to apologize Lemon; your question is A good and valid one"

Ignis said as he closed his eyes again. Halcyon pushed me gently to the side and studied Ignis. He ran his hand along the side of the creature as he walked around it.

"The material of your scales are still something I cannot begin to comprehend"

He started as he walked around Ignis.

"If I were to - No, if the Yoshi Species were to break down the composition of your scales, we could use them to build the strongest things in existence!"

Halcyon's voice seemed to be A mix of pure amazement and giddiness at this point. He had made it around the left side of Ignis and his pupils were very small and he was breathing rapidly. Ignis was looking at Halcyon with inquisitiveness in his eyes.

"Are you well at the moment sir?"

Ignis asked as it moved Halcyon to where the rest of the High Council Members were with one of its claws. Halcyon's expression had not changed. When Halcyon was moved by Ignis, he was placed next to Rose, who tapped him on the shoulder when Ignis was done moving him.

"I concur with Ignis; are you well?"

She asked nervously. Halcyon looked at Rose, which caused her to take A step back in fear.

"I'm just fine Rose; I've never felt better!"

He said as he looked back up at Ignis.

"Alright then"

Rose said evenly as she turned to look back at Ignis.

"These are the highest ranking members of the Yoshi society if I'm not mistaken"

Ignis said as he blinked slowly as if he was trying to see all of us at one.

"You would be completely correct"

Emperor stated as he took A thoughtful stance. This action caused the chains that were snaked around his arms and legs to rattle, this caused Ignis to snap awake and put his two front feet over his ear openings.

"Stop that noise!"

He roared. The room shook with his voice, causing some of the High Council Members fall to the floor and some of the stalactites fall from the ceiling. I watched Lemon dodge the ones that fell close to her. When the room had stopped shaking and the ringing noise had stopped in my ears, Ignis uncovered his ears. He looked angrily At Emperor, who look genuinely scared for the first time.

"I did not care for that at all!"

Ignis roared. Emperor looked confused now. He look at the chains and then back to Ignis.

"You don't like high pitched or shrill sounds?"

He asked as he started to pull absently at the chains. Ignis brought his face close to Emperor's

"I don't know why I'm getting negative energy from you, but I don't like it"

He started. As Ignis spoke, Emperor's pupils became extremely thin.

"What is it that you possess that the others don't?"

Ignis asked him as he returned to his resting position.

"A better question to ask is how he got here without anyone noticing"

Lime said softly as he rested his weapon on his shoulder. Emperor growled softly. I saw A faint glow come from his upper arm as he stood himself in front of Ignis.

"The answer to your question is that I have inherited something that the others don't have"

Emperor stated evenly as he reached for the Reborn. Ignis sighed, sending the stalactites into the far wall.

"I see; you don't need to tell me what you have, I can feel it already"

Ignis said as if he was in A trance.

"The weapon that you wield, can you tell me the name of it?"

Ignis asked as its right eye opened slowly. Emperor sighed softly and took the Reborn off of his back and placed it in front of Ignis.

"Yeah, it's called the Reborn; my mother gave it to me shortly before she died"

He said as the giant lizard focused its right eye on the weapon. When it did, its left eye snapped open and it jumped up from where it was laying.

"This...this weapon still exists!?"

It asked with incredulity.

"We've all seen it"

Mercury said with annoyance. The other High Council Members nodded slowly in agreement.

"It was passed down by the rulers of the United Island Archipelago"

Halcyon stated. I took A quick glance at Halcyon to make sure that he was better. He seemed to be, so I watched Ignis take up the weapon into its huge hand.

"This weapon, the Reborn, holds great power you know"

Ignis stated as it flipped the weapon over in its hand with A claw as it continued studying the weapon.

"I've had the opportunity to examine the weapon outside of battle, but I've witnessed that the current Sacred Arts are Altitude, Velocity, Armor, Damage and…"

Lemon started to say, but her voice trailed off as she neared the end of her sentence. Ignis looked up from studying the weapon and looked at her.

"What else did you find Lemon?"

Ignis asked.

"I've also determined that the Reborn has A triggered Sacred art when Emperor…"

Her voice trailed off once again.

"Hmm, interesting"

Ignis said while he mulled something over in his mind. I couldn't tell what he was thinking about, but I made an educated guess that it either had something to do with the "Triggered Sacred Art" of the Reborn, or it had something to do with how Emperor was shifting uneasily.

"How exactly did you find this out Lemon?"

Emperor asked as Ignis handed him the weapon.

"I...I…"

Lemon tried to find the words she was looking for as she slowly faced Emperor, who met her with A look of disapproval.

"Now my question is something different than what we have discussed so far"

Ignis started. I heard some very quiet snickering behind me. I did not turn to see who was, but I had A feeling that the answer would come soon. Right after Ignis had finished his statement, Mercury asked A question.

"Are you going to tell us how you got in here?"

He asked, trying to stifle his laughter as he asked his question. Ignis looked down from the stalactite filled ceiling to look at him.

"That is not going to be my answer, and that was pretty rude you know"

Ignis replied with A bit of anger in his voice as it settled back to the ground. I turned to look at Mercury with A scowl, but he was already shrugging when I faced him. He had A huge grin on his face.

"I'll take care of him Rojo"

Rose said as she swatted the back of his head. Mercury muttered something under his breath while I looked back at Ignis, who was eyeing Emperor oddly.

"Are you saying that A yoshi that's infused with magic can alter A weapon that i've overseen that was built in my presence?"

Ignis asked incredulously as it continued to eye him.

"I'm not sure how that could be since…"

Lemon started as she started to quiver again. Ignis turned its attention to Lemon, who looked at the huge lizard with nervous eyes.

"Why is it that every time that I look at you that you are seeming to be scared or nervous?"

Ignis asked as he eyed her suspiciously.

"We really don't know"

The High Council, Emperor, and I said in unison.

"There's A rumor that Lemon has had A dark and mysterious past that she doesn't want to talk about"

I heard NorthWind announce as she pushed through the High Council Members to stand by Lemon.

"I really don't think that it's polite to spread rumors"

She breathed as NorthWind looked up at Ignis.

"I am one that studies mathematics as well"

Ignis told Lemon. As soon as she heard this, all of our jaws dropped and Lemon's eyes lit up like the sun.

"Really!? You study that subject as well!?"

She asked the creature with giddiness. Ignis nodded slowly as it covered its ear openings.

_Apparently Lemon's voice hurts the creature's ears as well _

I said with laughter in my mind. The rest of us gained our composure as Ignis looked at me once again.

"I also seem to hear from the others that you are A bit too overbearing Rojo"

Ignis started. I felt numb all over. My internal core temperature had started to rise as well.

"Whatever; now let's talk about what's up with Lemon"

I said rolling my eyes. I could see the others nodding slightly behind me.

"I also seem to be getting odd energy signatures from Lemon"

Ignis breathed. It was just loud enough for me to hear.

"Energy signatures?"

I asked, scratching the back of my head. Lemon sighed softly.

"With that being said, it's been observed that there's odd objects around her fingers"

Rose said as she looked at Lemon's hands. She was wringing them nervously.

"These objects are things I haven't seen before"

Ignis said as the creature looked at the wires that were tightly wound around her fingers.

"Could you explain to me what these are?"

Ignis asked as it touched the wires with the tip of one of its claws. Lemon started to look even more nervous.

"They're just simple wires; it's nothing to marvel at really"

She said while raising her hands up in what seemed to be defeat. Ignis looked at her oddly.

"The objects that are around your fingers are called wires?"

The creature asked Lemon. She nodded slightly.

"Could that be what's causing the energy signatures?"

Emperor thought aloud as he took A thoughtful stance. It was then that I felt A stronger presence in the room with us. This presence wasn't as friendly as Ignis or the others. I shook the feeling off as I focused on Emperor. He seemed to be thinking about something, but I could tell that he was trying to take his mind off of something, but what he was trying to take his mind off of, I didn't know. I looked at the chains that snaked around his arms and legs.

_Is it because of those chains that he looks so much like Abyss?_

I asked myself as I looked back at Ignis, who had taken A coil of wire off of one Lemon's fingers.

"I believe that you are right Emperor; these wires do contain energy"

Ignis said softly as it studied the wire in the dim light.

"This is also A trigger item if I'm not mistaken"

Ignis said as the creature looked over the wire at Lemon, who was smiling nervously.

"There's nothing special about those wires or me Ignis"

Lemon tried to protest, but Ignis didn't stop.

"I think that this is your trigger item to change you into A different form; it would act like the Devil Gene that changes Emperor, the Fire Element that changes Rojo, and these wires change you into what exactly?"

Ignis asked as it dropped the tightly coiled wire back into Lemon's left hand. As soon as the wire touched her palm, the wire unwound itself and slowly crawled up her hand. We all watched in awe as the wire found the finger that was not occupied by a wire and coil tightly around that finger.

"Where did you learn to do that Lemon?"

NorthWind asked slowly and nervously. Lemon turned to her quickly and nervously.

"I really don't want to talk about it"

Lemon said as she looked up at Ignis.

"You don't seem to take great enjoyment in your magic abilities Lemon; why is that so?"

Ignis asked.

"Hold on"

Rose started as she materialized A DeathBringer beside her. Lemon started to quiver again.

"The giant lizard thing is telling us that Lemon here can use magic?"

Rose asked as she walked to stand by Lemon. Ignis nodded slowly.

"I can safely assume that we have seen it firsthand; Lemon indeed has A knack for various things"

Ignis confirmed. Lemon started to take A couple steps backward.

"I-I'm sure that there's A logical explanation for that occurrence"

She started to say when I watched her back into Halcyon. Lemon whipped around to see him looking at Ignis oddly.

"Surely all of you can't have this much interest with our new guest"

He said oddly as he walked around Lemon who was still quivering.

"How couldn't we?"

Rose asked as Halcyon stopped to her immediate right. I saw him glance at Emperor, who was looking over the Reborn. I didn't know what he was looking for or trying to do, but I felt that Ignis could find out.

"Now that all of you are here, I'd like to ask something from all of you"

Ignis said as the lizard motioned for us to sit down. The High Council Members sat down, along with Frostbite, who had just arrived. I also sat on the ground, and when I did, I noticed that my legs were burning with soreness.

_Maybe I am pushing them too hard_

I thought as Emperor and Halcyon stood on A side of the High Council Members as they sat in A row. Emperor stood next to me listening to what Ignis had started to say while I focused on what Ignis was saying.

"I have heard from the Earth that there's something that's coming"

The lizard said. Mercury raised his hand.

"What is it young one?"

Ignis asked.

"You can speak to the Earth and more importantly, the Earth can speak?"

He asked with incredulity. Ignis chuckled.

"I am the living embodiment of the Earth, and as the Earth Element, it's my job to preserve and speak with it"

Ignis replied happily. He cleared his throat and went on.

"As I was saying, I've seen into all of your lives; some of you have things that you wish you wouldn't have to fight again, and some of you are going to have to make sacrifices that will impact you greatly"

Rose raised her hand.

"How exactly do you know all of this?"

She asked with narrowed eyes. Ignis grinned, showing all of his pointed teeth that were the same color as the lizard's claws.

"I know these things because all of you have been taken from the Earth"

Ignis said as his eyes closed once again.

"The tribe leader that had taken me in told me this: We come from the Earth when we are born, and we return to it when we die. It's A circle: from it we come, and we return to the place from whence we came"

Ignis said as if it was reciting it. Rose sighed.

"I'm afraid that that doesn't answer my question"

She said softly. Ignis huffed, sending the surrounding area into dust.

"How about I show you what's about to happen?"

It asked as it brought its head up from the ground.

"Let me show you what will come with the spell Recollection"


	23. Chapter 22 (Preperations)

Chapter 22 Preparations

Venom's P.O.V (John)

"That should do it"

I said with finality as the creature that we fought had collapsed to the ground.

"This was A waste of my time"

Abyss stated as he started to walk past the undead Bowser.

"Where are you going?"

I asked as I stomped hard on the creature's skull, shattering it and sending the bones of the skull everywhere.

_I was right to determine that this vessel isn't as strong as Abyss_

I thought as I watched the bones of the creature dissolve into dust.

"Are you going to waste time trying to nurse something that's dead back to health, or are you going to go with me to our real destination?"

Abyss asked with complete annoyance as I looked at the dust that was on my boots. I smiled.

"I just wanted to look at the combined outcome of our joint efforts; what's wrong with that?"

I countered. Abyss laughed.

"There's so much more that we could be doing here; much more than you could imagine"

He said as he walked through the magma that the creature had been expelling from the spaces between its bones. I was astounded and concerned by the fact that Abyss could now walk through magma.

_Who am I to be scared of Abyss?_

I scolded myself.

_He's no better than I am and he knows it!_

I raged to myself. Instead of actually raging to Abyss, I jumped over the pools of magma that were eating away at the ground.

"Where are we going off to Abyss?"

I asked as I jumped across the magma by landing and jumping from open spaces that the magma had not touched. It did not take A long time to catch up to Abyss, and by that time, we had stopped at A plain. It looked barren and lifeless with its withered trees, burning sky and smoke that billowed up from the ground. There was A volcano in this distance that was close to erupting.

"We are going to that volcano there, but I think that we're going to have A bit of A disturbance before we get there"

Abyss said as he turned to look at me. While he was focused on me, I couldn't help but look at his right eye. I shuddered A little. This caused Abyss to look at me oddly and then return to his original position.

"I'd like to ask you A question John"

Abyss told me as we gazed at the rumbling volcano.

"What's your question?"

I asked sharply as the volcano expended huge clouds of Black billowing ash into the sky.

"Do you honestly think that you could take Emperor and his team on by yourself?"

He asked as Red lighting chains crawled around the billowing cloud of smoke. I drew and sharp but long breath.

"What would constitute you to ask something like that?"

I asked with annoyance. Abyss laughed.

"It's because I want to show you something"

He said as he put his arm to the ground with his palm facing down.

"I'm going to bring someone back from the clutches of death that has A bone to pick with Emperor"

He said as the ground started to shake. I watched in amazement and some horror as bones started to come from the ground. I had not noticed it before, but they indeed were there.

"What are you?"

I asked as I watched A Black and Purple aura glow around the bones as they formed the skeleton of A yoshi. The bones were thick and strong looking.

_These bones look very strong._

I told myself as the bones snapped together with sick cracking sounds.

_It looks as if these bones supported A large body for A long time_

I remarked as the bones had finished being put together by Abyss.

"What's the matter John?"

Abyss asked me as he got up.

"Haven't you seen death many times before?"

He said as he raised his arm to the sky.

"Rise!"

He commanded the skeleton. Two Purple pinpoints of light slowly flickered in the skeleton's eye sockets as the creature rose from the ground. The bones creaked softly as the weight of the creature as placed on its feet.

"What am I doing here?"

The thing asked. I gasped in fear.

"That's...that's!"

I started in fear. Abyss laughed once again as he returned to A normal standing position.

"I believe you're looking for the word NightShade?"

Abyss finished my sentence as I watched the pinpoints of light continue to flicker.

"I don't think that you would want to die without causing Emperor more pains, right?"

He asked as the skeleton of NightShade took an easy stance.

"You're right, I hate the overgrown lizard with my entire being"

He said while Abyss let A grin cross his face.

"Good; then i'm going to make some changes to your body if you don't mind"

He said as he touched the hands of NightShade. His fingers started to crack and turn A metal color as they became sharper and more curved. I watched as the same color of sharp teeth form in the his mouth as the same color of spikes started to sprout from the back of NightShade. His tail became longer and A single blade appeared close to the end of his new, longer tail. I watched the fractures and the indentations in his bones become smooth as Abyss finished NightShade.

"The reason you're here is because you're going to serve me since I've raised you from death"

Abyss said with finality as he beheld his creation. He looked down at NightShade's feet, which were still bare.

"What's going to cover my feet?"

The skeleton of NightShade asked as Abyss thought. Abyss snapped his fingers and scoffed quietly.

"You're dead and you can't feel pain, but I will give you these if you desire to wear them"

He said as some odd footwear appeared beside NightShade. These looked like sandals, but they were flat on the top and looked to have pieces of wood on the bottom of them that made them look like miniature bridges.

"Wear these if you wish, but we must keep moving"

Abys said as he started to walk again.

"So much for A welcoming party"

I heard NightShade mutter as I hurried to stay in pace with Abyss. I wondered why he actually raised NightShade from the dead. We walked for some time until we had reached the base of the volcano.

"It's here"

I heard Abyss announce quietly to himself.

"What's here?"

I asked as I watched the Black cloud start to descend from the sky.

"Obviously us if you couldn't see that"

I heard NightShade say sarcastically as he stopped close to where I was standing.

"We will find out what this place has to offer"

Abyss said as he started walking up the mountain. I stood in my place at the base of the volcano in confusion for A couple of seconds before I shrugged and started to scale the volcano. NightShade followed close behind me as we scaled it. Often, I would have to dodge falling rocks and steam vents as the volcano got ready to erupt. The constant shaking of the volcano made my hands and feet numb from the vibration as we neared the center of the volcano. This was when the ground had become steep, but by them time I had reached the middle of the volcano, there was A ledge. Staining, I was able to pull myself over the ledge. Somehow, I was out of breath.

_How can I be out of breath at this point? I've barely even expended any energy!_

I asked myself as I saw Abyss standing in front of what looked like to be A door.

_A door? Here, in the side of A volcano?_

I asked myself as I got up from the ground. I was still breathing heavily, but I didn't even hear any strain in Abyss's breathing. I heard NightShade crawl over the ledge and stand close to me.

"If it doesn't work Abyss, just hit it"

NightShade said as he stood next to me with his arms crossed. The ground started to rumble and shake again. This sent rocks down the side of the volcano, which made me stumble A bit as I dodged the rocks that fell. As I regained my composure, I noticed the the door that led into the volcano had been broken. It had been snapped perfectly into two pieces. There were no shards of rock or any broken pieces to be found. I turned to look at NightShade, but the skeleton was nowhere to be found. Shrugging to myself, I walked through the broken door into the volcano. The passage was dark, but there was A little bit of light that came from the lines in the obsidian walls. The light came from the thin lines of magma that slowly ran through the walls of this passage.

_By the way that the magma is pulsing, it looks like the volcano is alive; something that's living and breathing, but that can't be right_

I thought to myself as I reached the end of the passageway. There was A small opening at the end of the passage. Whatever was behind the opening made Orange and Red light spill into the hallway. It was then that I felt something cold touch my shoulder. I shifted my eyes so that I could look over my shoulder. I saw two pinpoints of Purple light over my shoulder.

"You may have gotten me if you hadn't let yourself become known"

I said with A bit of annoyance as I crawled through the opening. I got up from the ground and looked at my surroundings. Lava pools burned all around me while some gushed magma into the air. Stalactites and stalagmites rose from both the ground and the ceiling. They shone at the tips from how sharp they were. There was A narrow path that was just large enough to for me to walk on, but it didn't look very sturdy.

"Don't you know how to walk?"

NightShade asked me sarcastically as he pushed past me. I almost fell off the side of the ledge that I was standing on, but I regained my balance and growled as I watched NightShade walk the path to the end of it, which was where Abyss was standing. I walked the path to where the two of them were standing. They were looking at something, but I couldn't see what they were looking at until I got to the end of the thin path that didn't look very sturdy. As I walked there, I looked at the place. It seemed as if something would've lived here for quite some time, yet none of us had seen anything...yet.

"Make sure I'm not just seeing things here"

NightShade told me as he stood me on his right side and angled my head to see what he was talking about. When I saw what he was talking about, my breath caught in my throat and chills started to go up and down my spine. On the ceiling, there was an individual of my species that was A pure Gold color. He was chained to the ceiling with strict security measures, as his arms and legs were secured with not only chains and tar, but were held in place by some stalactites that had grown through his arms and legs.

"Is this what we came here for Abyss?"

I started.

"Yeah, we came here to see a Yoshi shish-kebab?"

NightShade asked with A short laugh. Abyss growled softly

"I would advise being serious in this matter if you don't want to be made into bone dust NightShade"

He said softly as he looked at the individual on the ceiling.

"I'm getting the feeling that we're overstaying our welcome"

I said as I saw shadows start to dance on the walls. The magma continued to boil furiously while we speculated how we were going to get this individual down from the ceiling. It was then that I noticed something that was on his arm. It was partially obscured from my view by A stalactite, but I couldn't mistake the symbol that I saw on the upper arm.

"Do you see it?"

Abyss asked me as rumbling started to come from somewhere underneath our feet.

"I see it Abyss"

I confirmed. NightShade looked confused.

"What're y'all staring at?"

He asked as he put his hand over his eyes to block the Orange light that was apparently causing his focus falter.

"Never mind that now; the volcano is about to erupt"

Abyss said as he motioned for us to find A rock to hide behind.

"And how do you know that's going to happen now?"

NightShade asked as I turned from the two to find A rock. There was one close to where I was standing, but it was off of the path.

_At least it's safe_

I told myself as I sat behind the rock. The heat was so intense in this place, I was starting to become drowsy.

"I never said that I predicted it; in fact, he told me that this was about to happen"

I heard Abyss say as the rattling of NightShade's bones started.

_NightShade's getting scared for once?_

I laughed to myself from the the thought.

"I don't need to explain myself to you anymore; just do what you're told"

Abyss said quietly. NightShade ran from where he was standing and practically flew behind Another rock that was almost directly across from me. The rumbling became louder and more pronounced. Suddenly, it was almost if the ground had given way. A huge roar shot throughout the area, and for A moment, I actually thought I had died from the intense heat and pressure that had somehow gotten in here. Everything went Orange, Red and White as the roaring continued, but somehow, over the roaring, I heard A low wail that changed to A high pitched scream that was able to be heard over the rumbling and roaring that the volcano was producing. Both of these sounds rang in my ears at the same time, causing me cover them from the sheer volume of the sounds. Fortunately, this event did not last long, but I was nearly burned alive by A wave of magma that splashed over the top of the rock that I was hiding behind. NightShade, however, was more lucky than I was, and when he saw that I had nearly been burned, he laughed.

"You're not gonna be laughing when I turn your bones into dust"

I growled as I peeked around the rock that I had been hiding behind. What I saw took my breath away. John had his arms out to the Gold colored individual on the ceiling of the cave. The magma had gone through this individual, but had not caused any significant damage to this individual, if any at all. John was using Abyss's magic to take this individual from the holds of the stalactites. I watched in awe, and some horror, as he did this. First, the arms were freed, and then his legs. John maneuvered this individual through the air and set this new individual next to him. I watched the holes that were in the individual's arms and legs slowly close, and as they did, I almost hurled from the disgusting squishing noises and as the muscle and bone rebuilt themselves fiber by fiber in the space between the holes.

"I haven't seen anyone for quite some time; why are you here?"

The Gold one asked as NightShade and I stood next to him.

"I'm here to save you; what does it look like I'm doing?"

Abyss asked as he removed some magma from his shoulder. It fell to the ground, where it burned through the rock where it had landed.

"So you've heard the legend then?"

The Gold individual asked as he looked at NightShade and I.

"I haven't, but I feel that I may have A close connection to you, whoever you are"

Abyss said as he looked past the Gold individual to look at NightShade oddly.

"How have you come to that conclusion?"

The Gold figure asked as he turned back to Abyss.

"It's because of the fact that you have the Devil residing in you; I can feel it"

Abyss said as if he was transfixed to it.

"If that's the case, you can't be anyone other than my Son; Right Abyss?"

Abyss drew A sharp breath.

"That means that you're...you're"

His voice trailed off as we beheld an individual that probably held power that was equivalent to all of our combined power, and was increased by A hundredfold, maybe even thousandfold.

"That's right; I'm your father, and the harbinger of destruction"

The Gold one started.

"It's not possible!"

I started in disbelief as I took A step back in fear.

"Indeed I am Gold"

He said as he turned to me.

"I see that you have trouble believing that I am real; do I need to show you that I am truthfully in your midst?"

Gold asked me as the symbol on his arm started to glow softly. He bowed in front of me, but I was fixed to his eyes for some reason. As he returned to his standing position, I saw his pupils expand to encompass two-thirds of his eyes, and then slowly return to their normal size and shape. For some reason, his pupil shape was not A vertical slit pupil, it was round, like the normal shape of A normal yoshi eye.

"I'm just amazed to be in your midst Gold"

I said taking another step back in fear. He smiled, showing his sharp and jagged teeth.

"You might not want to take any more steps back"

He told me. I stopped taking steps backward and looked over my shoulder to see that my heels were resting on A ledge that was directly over A boiling pool of magma.

"Thanks"

I said quietly as he turned back to Abyss.

"You don't look like you've let my genes pass on to you much"

Gold said as he looked at Abyss's eyes.

"I have something much greater residing in me"

Abyss said quietly. Gold angled Abyss's head so that he was looking up at him.

"Interesting"

He said as he let Abyss go.

"What's so interesting Gold?"

NightShade asked as Gold continued looking over his child.

"He has someone that's been close to me for A long time residing in him"

He murmured as he finally let go of Abyss. I didn't need to guess to figure out what Gold was talking about.

_I watched all the gory details take place in that ceremony_

I remembered as Gold started to talk again.

"If I remember correctly, you succeeded to the throne, right?"

He asked Abyss as he started to stretch. Abyss looked at me for A moment, and I looked back at him and I shrugged.

"That didn't happen"

Abyss said as he looked at the ground. Gold started to laugh, which sent chills down my back,

"Are you being serious?"

He asked him as he stopped laughing. Abyss nodded slightly, and Gold started to growl deeply.

"I remember that I told your mother that you were supposed to be the ruler; what happened in the course of the time that I left to change that!?"

He yelled at Abyss. He winced and looked up at Gold.

"I was exiled after A misunderstanding"

Abyss said quietly. Gold opened his mouth to speak, but Abyss kept speaking.

"The island thinks that I killed Rojo, and because of that, I was exiled. Siren expelled me from them"

Abyss's voice trailed off as he finished the sentence. Gold smiled cruelly and picked Abyss up by his neck.

"All that work I did for you, and you take it all away because you acted foolishly!?"

He yelled at Abyss once again. Abyss did nothing as he dangled from Gold's grasp.

"I didn't kill Rojo at that point, but Siren thought that I did"

Abyss wheezed. Gold scoffed and dropped Abyss back to the ground. Abyss landed awkwardly and started rubbing his neck as Gold spoke.

"Then it seems that we have some things to figure out"

He said as he starting walking along the thin path that led out from the volcano, into the outside world.

"I'm going to assist you in this event; I hope that I can trust you to carry out your job my son"

Gold dictated as he turned back to us when he had reached the door.

"How do you know what we want you for?"

NightShade asked quickly and nervously. Gold grinned.

"I can read minds NightShade; I'm not dull like you are"

He said as he exited the area. I drew A noisy breath.

"That's your father?"

I asked incredulously as NightShade stood himself next to me. Abyss nodded slightly and he started walking slowly down the path that led to the shattered door that Gold had broken.

_Just how much power does this being possess?_

I asked myself as we formed A single file line. We walked silently and almost in time with each other. It felt as if we were all being controlled by something. It was then that I asked myself whether or not it was A good idea to do this.

"We're going to want to catch up to Gold if we want him to stay with us"

Abyss said as he walked through the crumpled door that led into this chamber.

"You don't need to tell me twice"

I said as I picked up my pace. We crawled through the small hallway and emerged into the twilight. I got up from the ground and brushed myself off. Dust and dirt were raised from my scales as I brushed them. I then noticed that Gold was looking at the setting sun.

"It will all be mine soon"

I heard him say as he made A fist with his right hand that was directly at chest level. I then heard A sigh come from him as he turned to all of us.

"Abyss?"

Gold asked as he got up from the ground.

"What is it?"

Abyss asked as he brushed himself off.

"Is this the team you have assembled for me?"

He asked as he turned to Abyss. He nodded slowly and Gold looked at us.

"You've done A fine job assembling it; however, I may need to make some adjustments along the way"

He said as his gaze settled on mine.

"How is it possible that you have John residing in you?"

Gold asked as Abyss started to cough heavily. This action took Gold's gaze from mine as we all watched Abyss come to his knees. He started coughing harder and some blood started to come from his mouth as he coughed. We then watched as A long arm come out of his mouth. Abyss's coughing grew quieter as whatever was coming out of his mouth started to take shape. It did not take long for what came out of his mouth to be identified.

"You decided to inhabit my son?"

Gold laughed as the Mastermind brushed saliva off of its body.

"I'm surprised that you're still alive"

The Mastermind countered.

"It take more than throwing me into the mouth of A volcano to beat me"

Gold replied with A sinister smile.

"Sorry to ruin the moment"

NightShade started. All of us turned to him.

"But how exactly do you know each other?"

He asked. Gold laughed and the Mastermind shrugged.

"I know him since he tried to kill me after I crossed him"

Gold said as he stretched.

"I think it's A great friendship, minus the smell of the Mastermind, but it's bearable"

He finished. The Mastermind shook its head.

"I really should've killed you all the way when I had the chance"

It said as the sun went behind the mountains. Abyss looked up from the ground.

"Did you really have to exit my body from my mouth?"

He asked as he scrabbled across the ground and started to throw up over the ledge. NightShade laughed while I studied Gold.

"Now I have A question"

I said. Gold looked from the Mastermind and his gaze settled on me once again.

"What's your question?"

He asked as my gaze went to his upper arm.

"How exactly did you get the Devil Gene?"

I asked. Gold grinned as he looked at the Mastermind. Its pinpoints of light slowly turned to A Red color.

"It was given to me by the Mastermind; I think of it as A gift"

Gold said as he playfully punched the Mastermind's shoulder.

"It was not given to you, rather, it was A side effect of one of my spells"

The Mastermind said as it turned away from us.

"It does seem to fit since you're the most wicked one here"

I said. NightShade stifled A laugh as I helped Abyss up from the ledge.

"We need to stay here"

The Mastermind stated as I helped Abyss up.

"I thought we needed to go somewhere else; you know, like closer to the Administrative District?"

NightShade said as he shifted his weight uneasily.

"That was the original plan, but since Abyss woke up the monster that resides under the temple, that plan is no longer possible"

The Mastermind stated.

"I'm going to bring them here"

It went on to say. NightShade scoffed.

"And how are you going to do that?"

He asked. The Mastermind laughed cruelly.

"You'll see"

It said as it faced us.

"Hold on, you're saying there's A monster on the other team?"

NightShade said in disbelief. The Mastermind nodded slightly and its eyes changed back to their White color.

"I may have seen what you refer to as the monster"

I said. This brought everyone's attention to me.

"It's called Ignis"

I said softly. Gold drew A sharp breath.

"Abyss?"

Gold said slowly. Abyss took A step back.

"How much of an IDIOT are you!?"

Gold raged. Abyss took A step forward and looked like he was about to burst in anger.

"Your inability to wait has caused us to have A significant disadvantage"

He said as Abyss balled his hands into fists.

"It's not like you have the best patience either father"

He countered. Gold sneered.

"If you think that you can stand up to me, you're wrong"

He said as he Materialized not only DeathBringers, but Invisible Nightmares.

"As A team, we're supposed to helping each other, not breaking each other down"

Abyss said slowly. Gold's breathing slowed.

"And may I also remind you that I was the one that released you from that infernal resting place"

He said as his hands slowly relaxed. Gold sighed again.

"I'm not on board with this whole team thing, but if I can do my job and you can hopefully do yours, I'm all for it"

He said as he laid down on the ground. He yawned and curled up on the ground.

"You've bored me with your whining, so I'm going to sleep; all of you should do the same"

Gold said as he immediately started to snore very softly. I looked at NightShade, who shrugged.

"I've always told myself that I can rest when I'm dead, and I appear to be, so I guess I shall"

He said as he dropped to the ground and started sleeping. The lights that were in his eyes dimmed, and now it was just me and the Mastermind that were awake.

""What? You're not going to sleep Mastermind?"

I joked as the Mastermind watched the rising moon. It looked as if it had A Blue hue to it as it rose over the topmost part of the mountains.

"You should know by now that I don't sleep"

The Mastermind started.

"I'm the Nightmare that haunts dreams, not the one who dreams nightmares"

It said as it started to waver in my vision.

"May I ask you A question?"

I asked as it continued to waver. It did not answer, so I started my question.

"Why did you leave Abyss?"

I asked as I sat down next to the Mastermind. I felt my legs dangle as I sat on the ledge. It looked sturdy enough to support me, but I looked down and saw that it was going to be A long way down if I fell.

_Would I survive if I fell from this height?_

I asked myself as the Mastermind started to speak.

"There's no specific reason that I left Abyss"

It started.

"I will return to his body because I like the power that rests in him, however, Gold has already pointed out some weaknesses that I will need to attend to"

It said as I scratched the back of my neck.

"It also is odd to me that Gold says you've been around when he was young; how could that be?"

I asked as A wave of cold went down my back. The Mastermind laughed.

"Death has no beginning and end; since I am Death I have no beginning and end"

It said as it started to twitch oddly. The Mastermind's voice also seemed to be glitching oddly.

"So how's it possible that Gold didn't die when you threw him into that volcano?"

I asked. The twitching of the Mastermind became more violent and pronounced.

"I'm not sure of that either, but what I do know is that Bowser took him in, much like he did with you and Abyss"

It said as it stopped twitching.

"I have also observed that Abyss has three rings around his right eye, what are those rings?"

I asked as the moon was halfway over the mountains. I could see A natural wildfire sweeping across the plains below us.

"Those rings are levels of inhabitants; it shows how many beings are inside of your soul"

The Mastermind started.

"Since Abyss has three rings, he's got his own, me, and A part of what's residing in you"

It finished. I could see the Mastermind look at the wildfire below us. The soft Orange glow of the fire made the Mastermind look even more sinister in the expanding darkness.

"So what's your plan for the battle tomorrow?"

I asked as A yawn came from my mouth. The Mastermind looked at me and my breath caught in my throat. There was no light in the eye sockets of the Mastermind.

"The only plan I have is to cause mass destruction and death"

It said. Its voice was extremely low and I saw the long fingers of the Mastermind twitch softly as it looked at me.

"So you're not going to go with Gold's plan?"

I asked. The Mastermind twitched once again.

"I don't care for Gold or his plan; I have my own and I'm going to act on it"

The Mastermind said as it vaporized into the Blackness of the night.

"Alright"

I said quietly.

"Whatever floats your boat is fine with me"

I said to the area around me. I heard soft snores all around me as I sat on the ledge. Suddenly, I felt lighter, as if weight was being taken off of me. I looked to the side to see that the Evil Spirit of John was sitting next to me. His features wavered in the darkness, but his body was illuminated by the moon.

"You're feeling regret, aren't you?"

He asked me. I scoffed.

"Of course not; I already gave myself up to you, so your vision is my commandment"

I said as we watched the wildfire consume the land on the ground.

"Tomorrow is going to be A difficult day; are you ready for it?"

John asked me. I thought about this.

_I have loose ties to the High Council Members and Halcyon. Rojo may not even know that i'm still alive, and Lemon took care of me for A long time. If I were to kill them all tomorrow, what would there be left to destroy, and more importantly, what would be the outcome of that?_

I looked back at John who was looking at me curiously.

"I'm sure that I can take it, after all, blood is not something new to me"

I said. It was then that I had A thought cross my mind.

_How is it that I'm alive without John residing in me?_

"Never mind that now"

John started.

"Now you know full well that each one of our adversaries has A special ability, right?"

He asked me I nodded slowly.

"That means that each one has A weakness"

He said narrowing his eyes.

"Unless I'm mistaken"

he finished. I let out A long breath.

"Yes, each one has their abilities and disabilities, but that doesn't mean that I know every one of their abilities"

I sighed. John chuckled.

"Are you saying that you're going to have remorse killing them all?"

He asked me as his scales started to raise around his neck.

"Like i've said before, Your wish is my command"

I said as I stretched. Just then, I noticed that the moon had become A very dark shade of Red.

"I'm also unsure how tomorrow is going to progress"

I said as I finished stretching. John got up from the ground, and I noticed that the scales around his neck had formed A sort of collar around his neck.

"Are you doubting my abilities?"

He asked as he walked away from me to stand by the Mastermind.

"Are you doubting mine?"

The Mastermind asked John. he shook his head.

"As I have said before, everything is under my control"

The Mastermind stated as it vaporized once again. I watched the Black mist form A ring around the spirit of John.

"What are you doing?"

John asked as the Black ring of mist that was circling his body started to tighten, causing the Black circle become thinner.

"Like I have stated before, I'm just doing my job"

It stated as the ring suddenly turned A deep shade of Red and disappeared.

"I'm also going to make some adjustments to you John"

It finished as the area around us became silent; completely silent.

"Everything will be ours, but for now, all of you are under my control"


	24. Chapter 23 (The Grand Voyage)

hapter 23 The Grand Voyage

Emperor's P.O.V

Ignis had just finished showing us his vision, and I was astounded by all of the details.

"Are you sure that this is going to happen?"

Rojo asked as he got up from the ground. Marine got up with him and he brushed himself off.

"I would not contest the integrity of this creature"

NorthWind stated as she made the picture on the wall go black with A handwave. The High Council Members got up and stretched, but Halcyon stayed on the ground.

"There's so much detail"

I murmured to myself. This caused Lemon to clear her throat and look at Ignis.

"There's A volcano much like the one that was on another one of the…"

Her voice trailed off as she gazed at something in my direction. The High Council Members looked at Lemon oddly.

"Wait"

Marine said as he looked at Lemon.

"You're A cartographer, right?"

He asked as the High Council Members looked at each other with worried looks on their faces. Lemon started to pace. She seemed really stressed about something right now.

"On one of the islands, there's A volcano like the mountain we have here"

Lemon started. Slayer stretched out on the ground and then ran up to Lemon's shoulder, where he started to sleep again.

"Indeed I am"

She said quietly to herself. Ignis yawned and settled back down on the ground to sleep once again.

"Is anyone else getting an odd pull to something?"

I asked as the Reborn started to detach itself from my back. I didn't pay much attention to it, but what I did pay attention to was the way Halcyon was directing almost everyone in the room.

"The High Council Members will stay here, but Emperor and I, along with Rojo are going to attend to the matters at hand"

He said as he practically pushed the High Council Members up the stairs.

"But it's so boring around here Halcyon!"

Rose protested as they neared the top of the stairs. I watched Lemon pace some more, and when I was tired of that, I asked her A question.

"Do you want A chance to redeem yourself Lemon?"

I asked. She stopped to fast, Slayer almost fell off of her shoulder. He protested with A loud hiss that made Lemon jump in fear.

"Don't do that!"

She hissed to the lizard. Then, she turned her gaze to mine.

"What do you mean by this Emperor?"

She asked as she set Slayer on the ground. I gave her A half-smile.

"I think you know what I mean"

I said as I looked back at the inner doors that led into and out of the Revelation Room.

"Do you really think that I'm deserving of A chance like this?"

She asked me seriously. I could see the single LED light that burned behind her left eye as she asked her question. I kept my composure to make sure that I didn't let my guard down.

"Not many of us are deserving of anything"

I started to say with my half-smile. Lemon's expression fell to grief and she looked at the floor.

"But there's always the option to make yourself deserving"

I finished as Halcyon stopped at the bottom stair. He looked at us oddly.

"If you're trying to keep Lemon here, that's not going to happen; we need her to be with us just in case the worst possible outcome presents itself"

He said as he made his way to the inner doors.

"Don't stand there like walls you two!"

Halcyon called as he waved his hand in A beckoning fashion.

"We need to get going"

I said in agreeance to Halcyon's words. Lemon nodded slightly and we made our way to Halcyon. We went through the safety measures and we stepped out into the twilight.

"I can't explain this pull either Emperor"

Halcyon said as he started to walk down to the shoreline. Taken back by his words, I had to jog to catch up to him because I had froze in disbelief.

I_ can't tell exactly what's up with everyone right now, but if it's going to cause any more problems, I'm not for it_

I told myself as I shielded my eyes from the sun that was starting to come over the top of the mountains.

"Where's that map of yours?"

Halcyon asked as I heard someone running to catch up to us. I turned quickly and swept the individual with my right foot, but the individual was faster than I was and he put me in an arm lock.

"Calm down Marine"

Rojo said without looking at him.

"Marine?"

I asked as I looked at him in disbelief. He looked at me sheepishly and he released me from the arm lock.

"Sorry about that"

He said as he caught his breath and looked at the ground. Halcyon continued walking along with Lemon, but Rojo and I stayed.

"I thought I told you to stay at the Revelation Room"

I heard Rojo say softly. Marine looked up from the ground to meet Rojo's fierce gaze.

"I….wanted to…"

Marine started, but Rojo gave him no escape.

"You wanted to what?

Rojo asked as he twirled A serrated knife in his left hand. I heard Marine's breathing quicken as his gaze was drawn to the knife.

"I knew you wouldn't let me go on this mission Rojo"

Marine said softly as he brushed himself off and got up from the ground. Rojo scoffed.

"So that gives you the right to disobey the orders of your army captain?"

He asked as he threw the knife into the ground at Marine's feet, narrowly hitting the steel-toed portion of his boots. The knife made A twanging sound as it impacted the ground. I growled.

"You two need to stop"

I said as I felt the Devil Gene pulling at my sanity. This had become much more frequent now since the awakening of Ignis.

_I can't keep fighting this forever_

I told myself as Rojo looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"You should watch your words Emperor; your cockiness is annoying me"

Rojo said as he turned away from Marine and started off to where Halcyon and Lemon had gone off to. I had no idea where they went, but I decided to follow Rojo only after I made sure Marine was ok.

"It was nice of Rojo to give me his knife to me"

Marine said with A little smile as he picked the knife from the ground and started to twirl it in his hand like Rojo had been doing. I looked at Marine oddly.

"When did Rojo get like this Marine?"

I asked him as he put the knife in his boot. when he had completed the action, he looked back up at me with the same odd expression I had.

"What are you talking about?"

he asked as he walked past me while humming A tune that I didn't recognise softly. I scratched my head and dropped in pace with Marine as he walked along.

"I don't understand much anymore Marine"

I said as we walked along. He nodded slowly.

"And as for your question, I'm not sure; he was fine the day before"

Marine's voice trailed off as we neared the beach. We walked down the path and stopped next to the canoes.

"Is it early morning already?"

I heard Halcyon mutter under his breath as I watched him look around for any available canoes. Individuals were already buying, selling, and trading.

"It looks pretty packed today, so I wouldn't expect any to be open"

Marine said as he looked around for Rojo. I laughed to myself.

_Even though Marine is treated so aggressively by Rojo, he still follows him around like A pet Assassin Lizard._

I thought this as I looked for any available canoes. It was hard to see, but I thought I saw one at the left end of the beach. I went to tap Marine on his shoulder to tell him what I was seeing, but he wasn't there. I looked around for anyone that I knew, but the beach had suddenly exploded into business. I had to shut my eyes due to the many different colored individuals that were occupying the beach.

"A bit overwhelmed?"

A familiar voice asked me. I opened my eyes and I came face to face with Rose. My breath caught in my throat.

"You're supposed to be back at the Revelation Room"

I breathed. She smiled.

"I had to get out of there"

She said quietly as she looked around nervously. The mass was becoming more dense now and I was getting nervous.

"If Halcyon sees that I'm gone, who knows what's going to happen to me?"

She asked the air. I looked around.

"I don't see him, or anyone else that I know"

I said as I started to move through the crowd. I knew from watching the commoners that they didn't go anywhere near the water. I had asked Halcyon why this was some time ago, but I never got an answer. I knew that not many of our species could swim, but I didn't think that was the reason why they avoided the water.

"Hey, wait!"

Rose cried as she pushed through the crowd to catch up to me. When she did, she punched my shoulder.

"What was that for?"

She asked me angrily. I didn't reply, but she asked me another question without missing any beats.

"Are you going to help me?"

She asked me seriously as we broke away from the mass that covered the beach. We were by the water now, and I could see some canoes that were tied to A wooden pier. Now I was able to see everyone that was going to accompany us to wherever it was that this unexplained pull was going to take us to. I had no idea where we were going to go, but I felt A small line of dread with this pull.

_My next question is how I'm going to qualify Rose being able to go with us_

I thought as Rose and I scaled the small flight of stairs that led to the staging area of the small canoes that were used to transport Currency Fruit. Unfortunately, I wasn't very careful with my steps because Halcyon spotted me from where he was, but he didn't pay attention to me. I was waiting for him to come storming across the pier to give me A tongue lashing, but that never happened. It was then that I realized why Halcyon didn't do anything.

_I don't remember Halcyon to be the type that argues_

I told myself as I slowly made my way over to where the rest of them were standing. They were situated at the end of the pier where it dropped off into the 20 foot zone. I shuddered at the thought of drowning. I hated water, but I could swim if i needed to.

_My form would be terrible, but it would save me at least._

I thought as I looked into the crystal clear water as I walked towards them. There were some brightly colored coral reefs that looked sharp. They seemed to be so sharp, that while they waved in the water, they seemed to be serrated. I didn't know why I was walking so quietly, but I felt that if I made any noise, they would turn to my direction. I didn't know about anyone else, but I preferred to stay away from arguing individuals. Only when I needed to step in, I would intervene.

_The canoe that Halcyon picked doesn't seem to be very sturdy_

I thought as I looked at the boat. Moss covered most of the canoe's sidewalls and it looked pretty shabby to say the least. As I inspected the boat, I heard what what Rojo, Marine and Halcyon were arguing about.

"That boat won't hold A single grain of sand Halcyon; just look at it!"

I heard Rojo cry. I saw Halcyon sneer from the corner of my right eye.

"What do you suppose we do then?"

He asked as he tapped his left foot against the dock quickly. Marine cleared his throat.

"Could we fashion one with the time we have now?"

He asked as Halcyon and Rojo kept arguing. I walked around the professional arguists and stood next to Marine, who sighed softly.

"They really never got along"

I heard him mutter under his breath. A short laugh escaped my mouth, which made Halcyon and Rojo look at me oddly.

"Emperor?"

Rojo asked incredulously while Halcyon just looked blankly at me.

"When did you get here?"

He asked as I watched Rose jump into the canoe. I put my arm out to try and stop her, and I was just about to warn her about the canoe's condition, but by the time I completed these actions, she had already landed in the boat. Halcyon and Rojo whipped their heads in time to see Rose land in the canoe, which snapped from the middle to be broken perfectly in half.

"I told you!"

Rojo growled as he dropped to his knees to look for Rose, who had disappeared from our view. Oddly enough, I wasn't scared or nervous.

_If i know Rose, she's probably clinging to A post underneath the elevated pier that we're standing on right now_

I thought as Marine joined me at the right side of the pier. We all looked in the water for Rose, but we couldn't find her.

"You're looking in the wrong place if you're wishing to find me"

We heard Rose say as I shifted my eyes so that I could see behind me. Rojo and Halcyon muttered something under their breaths as I got up and turned to face Rose. She had A huge smile on her face, but Halcyon didn't look impressed and Rojo looked even more upset than Halcyon.

"You're going to be in really big trouble if you don't have anything to qualify your actions"

Halcyon stated as he tried to push Rojo off of the pier playfully. It was odd to see the two arguing just now, but being able to settle their differences within A short span of time. Rojo dodged Halcyon's shoving attempt and stood next to Marine.

"You have some nerve disobeying A command Rose; what's your reasoning to be here?"

Rojo asked as he tried to shove Halcyon into the water. Rose sighed.

"I could tell you the same thing as I told the others, but I would become Blue if I repeated it much more"

She said as looked at Marine. He shrugged and I looked at Halcyon, who had stopped trying to shove Rojo off of the pier. They now were in professional attention stances with inquisitive looks on their faces.

"You want to participate in battle, don't you?"

Halcyon stated as he turned to face the expanse of water that led to one of the unnamed districts.

"That was the intent of my actions, yes"

Rose replied hopefully. Rojo sighed and turned to Halcyon.

"What do you think Halcyon?"

He asked as he wrung his hands.

_Is Rojo actually nervous for once?_

I asked myself incredulously as I watched Halcyon chuckle quietly.

"You're the Island Defense Force Captain that won the Medal of Honor, right?"

He asked without turning to Rojo. I heard Rojo take A sharp breath.

"Then you should be able to decide whether or not you can take the life of Rose into your hands, right?"

Halcyon asked as he turned his head slightly so he could lock eyes with Rojo.

_That was A very good answer_

I remarked as I heard Marine whistle softly in amazement.

"If you're trying to be smart Halcyon, you should at least be talking to me so I can slap you when you make those kinds of remarks"

A familiar voice said.

"The only one who's dishing out discipline here will be me"

Another familiar voice said.

_No, not here_

I moaned in my mind as I turned to look at the worst possible combination of individuals to arrive at the same time: Cynder and Lily.

"When did you two arrive?"

Maine asked as we both looked at the new arrivals.

"If you're going to bother us with your incessant bickering, you should've at least brought us A canoe or A small boat."

I heard Halcyon mutter as he turned to meet the new arrivals. Rojo turned as well, and when he did, his breath caught in his throat.

"You do know who you were speaking to, right?"

He asked fearfully as the two walked up to Halcyon and greeted him. Halcyon shook both of their hands and the two stood back and admired something.

"I never thought that all of these fine individuals would become such great allies"

Cynder marveled. Lily nodded slightly in agreement.

"Of all the possibilities, this one was the least probable"

She agreed. I sighed.

"Are we going to get something to travel over the water with, or am I going to swim over to this island myself?"

I asked the group, but no one said anything. There was A brief moment of silence, and the only thing I could hear was the soft lapping of the waves hitting the beach and the breathing of everyone around me.

"No one had anything to say?"

I asked with mild annoyance.

"If anyone was to be needed here, it would be-"

Halcyon started, but his sentence was finished by A new arrival.

"Me?"

The new voice finished. All of us turned to see that Lemon had arrived, and as usual, she seemed tense and nervous about something. She had A White lab coat on and some odd objects that spanned the entirety of her eyes. They were connected by A small span of metal in the space between the pieces that covered her eyes.

"Were you ok with me finishing your sentence?"

She asked fearfully as she stopped close to where Halcyon was standing.

"It's fine Lemon, now can you tell us what we need to get over to the next island?"

He asked. Lemon looked at him oddly.

"I thought you knew how to build canoes Halcyon"

She said as she pulled slightly at the wires that were around her fingers.

"I know how to build them, yes, but I don't see any canoes that are available"

He said while he motioned with his hand to the beach that was almost filled completely with patrons.

"I saw; I made my way through the crowd amazingly"

Lemon murmured to herself. She then shook herself for some reason and then looked back up at Halcyon.

"Do you have A particular type of water-faring transportation type?"

She asked Halcyon. Halcyon buried his head in his hands.

"I don't know everything about boats Lemon; just give me something to get across the water"

He said quietly.

"I could build you something as small as A single-seat rowboat, to something as big as A SeaWise Giant"

Lemon said as she looked at the paper that seemed to be fastened to A square plank of wood that was big enough to write on, but not to big enough to get in the way of work.

"If you hadn't understood Lemon, we need something functional to get across the water"

Cynder stated rudely as she rolled her eyes. Lemon twitched for A couple seconds when she heard Cynder, but she didn't do anything. Instead, she wrote something down on the paper, thanked Cynder, and disappeared.

"I'll only need A quarter of A day"

Was all we heard before all of us watched her vanish into an odd device that she had produced from her left boot. We all looked at each other for A quick moment before Lemon disappeared.

"I have no idea what just happened, but if Lemon is going to get us something to travel over the water with, I'm ok with her shenanigans"

Marine said as he sat on the pier. Rojo looked at him when he had taken his place on the pier.

"Did I tell you that you could sit Private Marine?"

He asked with an edge as he scowled at Marine. He looked up at Rojo with A half-smile on his face.

"You never told me that I couldn't"

He said as he looked back at the expanse of water, facing away from Rojo. When he had heard this, Rojo got ready to do something that he would've regretted had I not stopped him before he had completed his action.

"This'll teach you not to talk back to me"

Rojo muttered as he balled his right hand into A fist and tried to strike Marine to make him fall into the water, but before he could hit Marine, I caught Rojo's fist as he drew it back. He looked at me with wild eyes and A furious look on his face.

"What are you doing?"

Rojo hissed as he looked at me. I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm stopping you from causing A foolish choice that would bring consequences that would destroy everything we worked for up until this point"

I said while I brought my hand down, which caused Rojo's hand to fall back to his side. He took A quiet and deep breath.

"He's right Rojo"

Halcyon stated as he took A seat on the pier. Gradually, everyone that was with me had taken A place on the wooden pier.

"Surely we're not going to just sit here and wait for Lemon to make us A mode of transportation, are we?"

Cynder asked. Everyone looked at her.

"What would you suggest that we do?"

Rose asked. Halcyon smiled to himself and brought something out from his right boot. The object was very intricately designed, and when he took it out, it rattled like it had contents inside of it.

"May I suggest chance-52?"

He said as he opened the box to reveal many same-sized pieces of slivered wood. On the top of the slivers, there were intricate designs, and when he showed the slivers to us, there were quantities on the bottom of the slivers of wood.

"That's the best idea that you have right now?"

Rojo asked as he let out A heavy sigh. Halcyon grumbled something softly as he dispersed the slivers of wood to us. I knew this game was meant to win currency fruit by gambling them and betting on who was going to win, but I felt that there was nothing better to do at this point, so I tried to remember how to play Chance-52. We played this game for about A quarter of A day before Lemon returned.

"You're sure that you're going to win this one Rose?"

Rojo asked as he looked slightly over the top of his cards to meet Rose's tense gaze.

"I think that I will"

She said as she laid her slivers of wood down.

"Four Tens!?"

We all asked incredulously as she laid them on the pier. Rose had A smile on her face as she motioned with her hand to the slivers. Rojo scoffed.

"You think that arrangement is better than mine?"

He said as he laid his slivers on the pier. I almost fainted when I saw what Rojo had.

"No way"

I breathed. The rest of the individuals in our group gave A low whistle.

"How!?"

Rose cried softly.

"Five Islands"

Rojo stated as he motioned to the cards. The others just looked in awe at the slivers, while cynder scoffed.

"You're sure that you didn't cheat?"

She asked as she narrowed her eyes. Fire licked the edges of her mouth as she stared Rojo down.

"What reason would I have to?"

He said as he stretched absently. Cynder jumped up from her spot, causing everyone jump A little.

"If that's the case, then that means that my chances of what I got weren't possible; you cheated Rojo"

She said softly. Just then, An explosion sounded from far away, causing all of us jump once more. We all looked at each other and tried to figure out where the explosion had come from, but no one could figure out where it had come from. While the others were talking, I caught sight of something flying towards us at A high rate of speed. I narrowed my eyes to get A better view of the object, and when I did, my breath caught in my throat.

"Incoming!"

Marine exclaimed nervously, and that's when the panic set in. Halcon raced around to pick up all of the slivers, and Rojo was shouting commands to the others around us. Soon, all of us caught sight of what was barreling towards us. We had little time to react before the object impacted the pier in the middle of where we were playing Chance-52. All of the currency fruit that had been placed in the middle of the circle had been crushed upon impact. I heard Rose and Rojo growl as this happened. There was also A sickening crunch that went through the area. The object moaned softly and sat up. We all stared openmouthed in awe at what was before us.

"Lemon!?"

We asked in awe. It was then that I noticed that her jaw was broken. I tried to point it out to her before she spoke, but she started to speak before I could let her know that something was wrong.

"Just thought I'd drop in"

She said with an awkward smile. We all looked at her oddly. I saw her eyes widen for A second, and not A second later, she set her jaw, and everyone that was around me winced.

"I have A question"

Marine told Lemon. Rojo facepalmed.

"What is your question Marine?"

Lemon asked as she faced him.

"How are you still alive after that impact?"

He asked as he scratched the back of his neck. Lemon smiled weakly.

"I could show you while we are on the water-faring vessel if you would like"

She said as she produced A small object from her coat pocket.

"What's that fancy thing you got there?"

Rose asked as she swiped the object from Lemon's hand. Her eyes widened in fear.

"Give me that object back now Rose!"

She said anxiously as she tried to get the object that Rose had in her hand, but Rose was faster and more dexterous.

_Apparently when someone wanted something from you, you had to keep the object that they wanted in A sort of Keep-Away game_

I thought as I saw Rose toss the object to Rojo. Lemon made A wild grab for the object, but ended up tripping over her boots and falling at the edges of Rojo's steel-toed boots. I saw Lemon's dismal look on her face as Rojo inspected the object while I did the same. It looked like to be A plank of wood that was similar to the boards that Rojo used to break in his strength training regimens when he went through them.

_This was before he decided to take on having troops at his disposal_

I thought while I saw Rojo trying to take off the metal bands that spanned the edges of the plank.

"I don't see why this took A quarter of A day to make, but it looks like A piece of junk to me"

Rojo said as he tossed the plank behind him into the water. Lemon drew A huge and sharp breath as she practically flew up from where she laid on the pier.

"What have you done!?"

She said as she grabbed Rojo by his shoulders and shook him violently. I saw Rojo's expression change from calm and collected, to actual nervousness. I could also tell that Rojo was hurting by the partial wince that he went through. Then all of us heard A low rumbling sound. I saw from the corner of my eye that the water around us had started to boil furiously. Lemon slowly released Rojo from her grasp and looked at the water. Even though I was looking at her back, I could tell that she was smiling. I stood next to her at the end of the pier as I looked at the water boil. Suddenly, Lemon started laugh softly.

"It worked"

She said as she started to laugh maniacally while repeating her last sentence, but I was transfixed to the water. I watched the water, looking for whatever Lemon had created.

_It would be A shame to have sat here for A quarter of A day to only see boiling water_

I told myself as I saw what Lemon was talking about. From under the water, I saw what looked like A huge Galleon surfacing from the bottom of the water.

_I wonder how buyant this ship is _

I asked myself as the ship surfaced completely. In this process we were all sprayed with water and dust as the ship launched about 30 feet into the air and crashed down on the water with another huge crack that hurt my ears and made my vision swim. Lemon stopped laughing and looked back at Rojo, who shared the same expression as everyone did on the dock but me.

"Is this what you had in mind Rojo?"

She asked as Rojo closed his mouth and shook himself.

"I...I didn't tell you to go overboard Lemon"

Rojo barely got out from how amazed he was. Lemon smiled.

"I don't suppose you'll ask from something like this again now will you?"

She said as she put her hands on her hips.

"I don't suppose I will"

Rojo said as he starting walking to the boat.

"Not so fast Rojo"

Lemon said as Rojo was almost to the boat. Rojo turned back to look at her.

"Why not?"

He asked. Cynder snickered as A long plank of wood impacted Rojo's head. He instantly went unconscious upon the impact. Lemon let out A half-scoff and growl at Cynder.

"Stop your laughing and help me carry this overgrown Lizard onto the ship so we can get going!"

She snapped. Cynder stopped snickering and looked incredulously at her.

"Get A move on!"

She said angrily. Everyone scrambled to get Rojo onto the boat except for me. I could hear A small voice in my head talking to me.

_You're never alone in your battles my child; I will always be with you no matter what_

The voice told me as I continued to stare at the water. For A moment, I thought I saw the reflection of my mother looking at me in the water. She smiled at me and dissipated into the water. It was then that I had A disturbing thought.

_How much am I actually getting into now?_

I asked myself as I heard someone calling me. I shook my head vigorously to clear myself.

"Yeah?"

I started.

"What's going on now?"

I asked as I met the annoyed faces of everyone looking over the side of the ship.

"Come on Emperor, you're holding up our progress!"

Lemon called from the deck of the ship.

"Get up here now or else we're leaving you here!"

Cynder snapped at me. I shrugged and walked up the plank that led to the ship, not knowing what would await me when I got on. As I walked up the boarding plank to the ship, I thought of everything that I had accomplished up until this point.

_How much do I have to lose?_

I asked myself.

_Something doesn't feel right about this_

This thought immediately followed the last one. Then my breath caught in my throat.

_What have I done?_

I asked myself as I collapsed on the ship's deck.


	25. Chapter 24 (Immeasurable Loss)

Chapter 24 Immeasurable Loss

Abyss's P.O.V

When I had Awoken from the sleep that had claimed me some time ago, I woke with new qualities.

"What happened?"

I growled to myself as I saw the sun starting to rise.

"Did you get enough rest sleeping beauty?"

I heard NightShade ask as I stumbled A little as I started to walk. For some reason, I couldn't walk upright, no matter how hard I tried to. I looked at the skeleton of NightShade, and my vision became different. Instead of seeing normal images, I could now only see heat signatures and the outline of his bones.

"What's wrong with you Abyss?"

He asked me as I fell to my knees. It was then that I found one fact that I had overlooked.

_All this time I have spent perfecting the power of the Devil Gene, and still yet I can't master it; even more so, being able to control it_

I thought as I looked around wildly.

_What's going on? Who else is around? What's going to happen now? Am I ready for battle?_

All I could feel was pain. It felt like I was being torn apart, Impaled with spears tipped with Assassin Lizard spikes, and having an operation done on me without anesthesia, All at the same time. I heard NightShade kneel next to me.

"Abyss?"

I could hear him ask tensely. I tried standing up, but I couldn't. I tried breathing, but it hurt to do that. I tried to focus my eyes, but I still could only see the heat signatures and the outline of NightShade's bones faintly now. As I started to cough, ringing started in my ears. I couldn't see NightShade, but I felt that he was looking down at me in horror. I hadn't known it, but I was laying on the ground, trying to stay alive.

"Abyss?"

He asked again. Once again, I couldn't lift my head. I tried out my voice, but I could barely hear the sound of something gurgling in my throat.

"You're bleeding from everywhere!"

He cried as he tried to pick me up from the ground. I couldn't bare the pain that I was feeling for some reason, and I wanted to know what was causing this happen. All the while that this was happening, I felt that I was swaying; like I was being taken somewhere. I tried my voice again.

"What's going on?"

I asked with my voice being barely above A whisper. I then heard some familiar laughter.

"You're the one being carried this time Abyss"

The voice told me. My breath caught in my throat and I tried to struggle, but all of my efforts were in vain.

" I'm taking you somewhere where you'll never see the light of day again"

The voice finished. From where I was, I could feel heat below me. Intense heat that actually scared me for once. Then, I felt like I was falling. my body tilted and rotated as I fell through the air. I then hit the ground, hard. The impact knocked all the wind out of me, and I went unconscious once again.

_You're not hurt; get up_

A voice commanded me. As the voice told me to get up, I felt energy course through my body, and I was upright before I knew it. I looked at where I had landed. I had landed on A patch of rocks that was not far from A flat area in what seemed like to be in the center of A volcano. I had the sudden urge to look up from where I was standing, so I did. When I looked up, I could see the faint outline of something. I couldn't tell what it was from the heat of the volcano that was causing the air shimmer. I narrowed my eyes so I could try to get A better look at what I was seeing, but when I narrowed them, the object dissipated from my view. I sighed to myself and turned back to the plain. It had A Tan color to it, and it didn't look very sturdy. Under this plain were lines of Magma that flowed between the cracks that lined this flat area of land.

_If I didn't know better, I'd say this volcano is living and breathing _

I mused to myself as I felt A presence manifest itself near where I was standing. I didn't pay much attention to it, and I walked around the plain, looking for anything that I could use.

"I would advise not ignoring me Obsidian"

A new voice said. I whipped my head around to see if anyone was standing there, but there was nothing occupying that space.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

I asked to the empty air.

"And for starters, My name isn't Obsidian"

Laughter resounded close to me, and I kept looking around to see if I could see whoever, or whatever was talking to me.

"Is that A question you really want me to answer?"

The voice asked me as I kept looking around. I heard cracking and rumbling in the distance.

"You're broken"

The voice said. I stopped walking and stood still.

"I'm what?"

I asked with A scoff. Laughter resounded again.

"Broken"

The voice stated once again. confusion took over me as I started to walk again.

"You may not know it, but I'm the only one who can make you whole; I can fix you"

The voice said. Now I had to laugh.

"You think you can make me whole, let alone fix me?"

I said while I laughed.

"I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that to me"

I said, but right after that, I had A feeling of dread wash over me.

"If I told you I had control over timelines, would you believe me?"

The voice asked me. I started walking again, and this time, I stretched my arms and straightened my spine as I walked along.

"You're sure that this isn't some kind of mind game that you're playing with me?"

I asked as looked up from the place I was in.

"The only mind that is game right now is yours"

The voice said to me. I laughed to myself.

"You think that my mind is feeble enough for you to take it over?"

I said with A short laugh as I continued to walk.

"To answer your question, I'd like to ask you A question"

The voice said to me. I stopped walking and I shrugged.

"Go right ahead; it's not like I have anything to do right now"

I said absently. I heard the voice laugh quietly.

"Do you know where you are right now?"

It asked me while I looked around some more for anything of use.

"Not really; I've been unconscious for most of the time i've been here"

I said quietly as I looked at the ground below me.

"Like I said, your mind is at my disposal"

The voice said expectantly. I started to walk again.

"You're in A Caldera Obsidian; A place that becomes A depression after the magma has been ejected from the chamber underneath the place where you have been standing"

The voice told me as I kept walking around. I sighed.

"So you're really what you say you are"

I said quietly in amazement.

"I've lived many timelines, so I know A thing or two"

The voice said to me. I stopped again.

"Wait; you're telling me that there's more than one timeline of existence?"

I asked as I continued to walk again.

"I wish I could say that, but that's not as easy as it is to say"

The voice said to me as I sharpened my claws against some flint I found on the ground.

"If you can do it, then you should be able to explain how it works, right?"

I said with some annoyance as I continued to sharpen my claws against the flint. Every stoke sending A shower of sparks to the ground. Then, I had A thought.

"If you can see multiple timelines, then you can show me what's going to happen soon, right?"

I asked as I looked up once again. I looked to the left and saw nothing, but when I looked to the right, I saw something that looked odd.

"A Bipedal frog?"

I asked myself with A laugh. I looked at the outline that was somehow partially illuminated from the volcano's Magma.

"Have you any right to observe how I look like to you?"

The voice asked me somewhat annoyed. I half-smiled.

"Do you have any Idea what I am?"

I asked the voice. The voice laughed again.

"Why are you questioning me when you could have everything you've ever wanted?"

It asked me as soon as I finished my sentence. I let out a long and low breath.

"That's right; and to prove it, let me tell you what's going to happen next"

The voice said. I watched the outline of whatever this thing that was speaking to me move from where it was standing, to be placed somewhere around the area where I was standing. I had to look around for some time before I found the outline again.

"It's kinda odd to be talking to something I can't see"

I said with some anger as I looked at the outline.

"It's also kind of odd to be talking with one of your species that can't recognise an opportunity when it presents itself"

The outline told me as the shade of the outline became more defined. My breathing slowed and I started to feel lighter.

"What else do I need to do to gain your trust?"

The outline asked me. I watched as two long and serrated sword outlines appear on this thing's back as the outline became as defined as it could be.

"I have some questions for you to answer"

I started.

"After you answer the questions that I have, then i'll trust you"

I said as I started to feel dizzy.

"What are your questions Obsidian?"

The thing asked me. It felt like I was in A trance by the dizziness and the weightlessness that I felt.

"What are you?"

I asked the figure in front of me as my vision started to fade.

"I am commonly referred to as the Shadow Stepper; there's none like me and the will be no more like me"

The figure told me. It seemed that the figure had said this many times before by how fast and pronounced the figure presented itself.

"Alright, then who threw me into this infernal place?"

I asked as I tried to shake my head to clear my vision, but I couldn't for some reason. The outline laughed softly.

"If I were to tell you, would you go off into A rage?"

The figure asked me.

"I'm in no condition to, whoever you are; just look at me!"

I cried. Through my blurry and spinning vision, I thought I could barely make out A smile.

"NightShade was the one who threw you into this Caldera"

The figure said. I almost lost my balance that I barely had control over and growled softly.

"What's going to happen if you were to manifest yourself to me right now?"

I asked softly. I now had A headache and was feeling nauseous.

"You would explode into A million pieces and I would have to clean up your remains"

The figure said without missing A beat. I managed to scoff, which made the figure visibly twitch.

"You don't believe me?"

The figure asked. The feeling of dread became even more pronounced, which made me drop to my knees.

"I have one last question"

I managed to say from gasping for air.

"What is your last question?"

The figure asked as I tried to stand up.

"What's going to happen if I make this deal with you?"

I asked quietly as the figure picked me up from my kneeling position and stood me in front of it.

"If you were to take the deal I have offered to you, you would become the most formidable individual in this part of the universe"

It told me. As soon as the figure finished its sentence, I started getting numb all over. The dizziness started to fade and the nausea went away.

"Are you sure?"

I asked with the most hopeful voice that I could use.

The figure smiled slightly.

"Yes; more powerful than your father, more powerful than the Mastermind and more powerful than your greatest enemy"

It said. As soon as it said that, I fell back to the ground, unconscious once again. When I woke up, I was feeling much better, my sight had returned to normal and the shadow figure had left. As I got up from the ground, I rubbed the back of my aching head as I looked around. I had been placed in the middle of the Caldera, and I was wondering how I had got here when I heard scrabbling behind me. I whipped around to come face to face with A giant two-toned lizard that was many times the size of me. It growled and lowered its head so that it was at eye level with me.

"You...I remember you"

The giant lizard growled to me. I took A step back and decided what my next action was going to be.

"You're not going to get away from me this time...Killer"

The lizard said maliciously and with anger in its voice. I kept taking steps back until I was backed against A wall of Obsidian.

"Who and what are you?"

I asked nervously. I now knew what it was like to be scared. I had no Idea what power I had, or if I even had any power to fight. The lizard scraped its claws against the rocks beside me with its left hand, sending A shower of sparks over my head.

"I am Ignis, and I am going to avenge the death of the individual that took me in when my life as this vessel started"

This lizard said as it brought its hand back down the the ground and with its right hand, grabbed me and held me against the Obsidian wall as it brought its face close to mine. I could see the genuine rage that this individual possessed.

"Don't you lie to me; you know what you did!"

The lizard yelled as it brought me from the wall and slammed me back into it. Oddly enough, I felt no pain when I impacted the wall, instead, I felt power starting to course through me again.

"It's not polite to interrogate someone that you don't know the name of"

I heard the familiar voice say as A wall of water impacted the side of the lizard and sent it rolling across the Caldera. The lizard rolled about five times before it righted itself and dug its claws into the ground, sending sparks everywhere as the lizard skidded to A halt. It glared at the outline that was next to me.

"Shadow Stepper?"

I asked incredulously as I rubbed my neck. The outline took an awkward stance and spouted water from what looked like its palms in A taunting way while it spoke.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size you overgrown lizard?"

It asked as it got into its own fighting stance. I regained my balance and looked at the giant lizard. For some reason, I thought that i've seen whatever this was that I was looking at sometime before.

"It's been A while Ignis"

The figure said as blade made of water formed in the figure's hands.

_So that's who this is_

I told myself as the giant lizard started to crawl to where we were slowly. It seemed like this creature knew what this figure was, and what it was capable of.

"Just because you know what happens in all of the timelines doesn't mean that you're all powerful"

Ignis stated sharply as the creature studied the figure.

"Is that so?"

The figure asked in A taunting manner as the blades that were made of water finished materializing in the figure's hands. The figure brandished them and Ignis took A defensive stance.

"If I fight you again, the time that I spent trying to kill you would be for nothing"

Ignis stated with the same sharpness.

"And why would you say that?"

The figure asked without missing A beat. Ignis hissed.

"It's because you would reset everything; in other words, all of our actions would be for nothing"

The creature said as it suddenly launched forward from where it was standing and started slashing wildly at the figure with its huge claws.

"I won't allow you to be tyrannical anymore!"

Ignis roared as he slashed. I watched as the figure avoid every slash that Ignis made with ease. Every time the creature slashed, the figure would easily parry the swipe, or would would artistically dodge the slashes that Ignis made. As the two fought, I continued to look around. I was expecting something else to happen; something that would make even me not be surprised by the action that was going to take place, but nothing happened. There was A tense feeling that started to drop over me as I walked away from the fight that was taking place.

_Why is it that I feel so weak?_

I asked myself as I walked. Then, I started to think about some other things.

_What happened to all of the power that used to rest in me?_

I thought.

_What happened to the Mastermind? what happened to John? What happened to Venom?_

I thought about these as I walked along as well. Along with being scared for once, I was also nervous. After this thought, I noticed that I was actually wringing my hands. I sighed.

"I'm not gonna deal with this anymore"

I told myself as I looked at the obsidian wall that I was standing in front of and put my head against the wall. I looked at the ground and found A sharp rock that was poking out from the ground.

_Just put yourself out of your misery; no one wants you around anyways_

A voice sounded in my head. Right after I heard that, A new feeling welled up from inside me. This was one that I hadn't felt since I had been little more than A hatchling: grief. It felt like I was isolated, lost, cold, dark, desolate and stricken. I continued looking at the pointed rock that was poking up from the ground.

"It's all I have left"

I sighed as I ripped the chunk of rock from the ground and twirled the rock in my hand. The light from the molten magma glinted off of the many edges of the rock as I twirled it. Suddenly, and without warning, something took over my consciousness and I stopped twirling the rock, and plunged it into my chest. Pain coursed over me, and this time, it was so unbearable, that I fainted as I fell to the ground.

"He did it; he actually did"

A voice said in amazement.

"Of course he did; I commanded him to do it"

Another familiar voice said. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't. I felt like I was being confined to something, but I knew I was still lying in the same area that I had been in.

"At least you took care of the biggest threat right away"

Another voice said with relief. There was A moment of silence and A rumble of thunder. Immediately following that, I was stood up.

"You can make do with what you have, right boss?"

I heard NightShade say as I opened my eyes.

_Finally! Maybe i'll stop being so weak and I can make an example of him while I get rid of Emperor_

I screamed in my mind as my vision came into focus. Everyone that I knew was standing in front of me, but I was being held by the Mastermind, and as usual, its LED lights were Red.

"Fancy seeing all of you here"

I managed to say while A stream of blood leaked from the side of my mouth.

"Don't speak"

Venom commanded me. The rest of them, except for the Mastermind nodded slightly.

"The only reason that you're alive is because I'm keeping your heart beating"

The Mastermind said softly as it yanked the obsidian rock from my chest. Blood started pouring out from my chest, and I looked down in horror at the hole in my chest.

"What's the matter?"

Gold asked me as I tried to take my transfixed gaze away from the hole in my chest.

"Haven't you said yourself that I've seen blood before; it's nothing new?"

He asked mockingly as the Mastermind closed the hole in my chest by waving its hand over it. I felt the pain go away, and all of the ailments that kept me from achieving my goal.

"What… did you do that for!?"

I raged, but The Mastermind shook its head, and I looked at the eye sockets of the terrifying thing, and I noticed that instead of the lights being A light Red color, they were Blood Red and that Tendrils of blood were leaking from where the tear ducts were supposed to be on A normal individual.

"If you hadn't known, that was supposed to be the entryway for John"

The Mastermind said with annoyance as it let go of me and turned to the lying body of Venom.

"John said he wanted to inhabit you, so I honored his request, and as for you Ivo"

It paused as it turned to him.

"You're going to take care of my unwanted visitors"

The Mastermind stated softly. Ivo saluted the Mastermind stiffly and ran off to an odd device that I had never seen before. Ivo left the area in this machine and left the rest of us alone, in the almost silence. For A little bit of time, no one spoke.

"what's my job then?"

Venom asked as I saw him being calibrated in A sort of way by the Mastermind. Venom's overall appearance had not changed, but his Purple irises glowed an unnatural Purple.

"You're going to stay here and make sure that Ignis is dead"

The Mastermind stated softly through Venom. After the Mastermind told Venom this, the body of Venom slowly dissipated, leaving just me and the Shadow Stepper.

"I like it how they think they have control over their actions"

The individual said with A little laugh. When I heard that, My breath caught in my throat just as My vision sharpened and I felt power return to me. I saw Orange and Red rings of light form on the ground in front of me. I smiled to myself since I knew what this meant.

"It's good to be back"

I said with A half-smile. The Shadow Stepper didn't look impressed though.

"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

It asked me as I stretched my arms and legs absently. I scoffed.

"Do you really think that I have any other choice?"

I asked as I felt the changes take over my body. As this took place, the Shadow Stepper shook its outline of A head.

"There are many choices that you could make, but this one is the worst you could make right now"

It told me. I felt my spine decompress A little as my bone density rose and the spikes started to grow from my elbows, back, and head. As the changes took place, I felt another emotion: Greed. I wanted everything to be under my control, I wanted more power, more of everything!

"You may find yourself in an unpleasant situation because of your choice Obsidian"

The Shadow Stepper told me as I finished my transformation. I smiled nightmarishly.

"I think that this is the best choice Shadow Stepper"

I said as I caught sight of something moving far behind the outline of the Shadow Stepper.

"Oh?"

The outline said as it turned to look at what was going on.

"So this is the choice you've made then?"

It asked as it turned to look back at me. I nodded slightly as I walked past the Shadow Stepper.

"I'm telling you this now"

The Shadow Stepper started as I made my way to the center of the Caldera.

"You'll win this time John, but you'll only hurting yourself"

The Shadow Stepper said as it fell in pace with me. I looked at the outline as it walked with me.

"And how will that come to be?"

I asked as we neared the center of the Caldera. The outline laughed softly.

"Im sure that I could tell you, but..."

The outline said as I looked at it with narrowed eyes.

"But what!?"

I growled as I felt the burning rage that went with the Evil Spirit of John. the Shadow Stepper looked at the ground.

"That would require for you to die"

It said as it looked up at me. As I looked at it, I could feel my power drain as I looked at this creature's eyes. I started feeling numb all over, so I tore my gaze from the creature's eyes and focused them on some moving objects that were walking around the ring of the Caldera.

"Since you have made your choice, I'm going to apply this timeline that you've picked here"

The outline said decisively as I looked at the individuals that were slowly causing their way down into the Caldera.

"So what's going to happen _All Powerful_?"

I asked sarcastically as I kept watching the individuals make their way down the side of the Caldera.

"I believe that I'm going to take my leave now"

The Shadow Stepper said softly as I saw it disappear into the Blackness of the Obsidian around me.

"Get ready for your final battle Obsidian"

It told me as the individuals were close to the bottom of the Caldera. I smiled to myself.

"Last battle?"

I asked sarcastically as I finally got to take A look at who had decided to take A stand against me. I then remembered what the Mastermind told me some time ago when I had almost taken what was mine from my hated enemy, which was oddly my own brother.

_You will not succeed in what you are trying to do_

This echoed in my head as I felt an odd weight of what seemed like dread fall over me. I looked at the line that was assembling before me. The weight over my shoulders grew A little heavier as I felt the seething anger continue to grow inside of me.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

I asked sarcastically as I looked at the line that had formed.

"What we have here is the team assembled to kill you"

Rojo said softly as he balled his hands into fists at his sides. I was partially amazed by the fact that he was still living, but that didn't take my total attention. What did though was the fact that Emperor had taken the Reborn off of his back and was unfurling it with the bladed edge facing me.

"I'm dispersing troops this time Rojo"

He said quietly as he pointed the tail part of the Reborn at Marine.

"Rojo and Marine will keep fighting Ivo, Rose and Lemon will fight the outline that almost killed Ignis, Cynder and I will fight Abyss"

Emperor dictated. Halcyon scoffed silently.

"Just like him to leave me out"

He muttered as he disappeared into the wall. The others went off to their posts and I continued to watch and stand in place as the line dissipated to leave only Cynder, Emperor and I.

"How about we settle this once and for all?"

Cynder asked as she cracked her knuckles and gave me A sharp toothed smile. Emperor put the Reborn across the back of his shoulders and stretched. Cynder looked at Emperor and scowled. When Emperor caught sight of her, he smiled sheepishly and got back into A more aggressive stance.

"You're really being this way now?"

Cynder asked angrily as she swatted the back of Emperor's head with her hand. I saw flames licking the edge of her mouth as she narrowed her eyes at me and I stomped the ground hard. Lightning chains of Black and Purple color crawled across the ground towards the two. As the lightning crawled close to Emperor, he half-smiled and used the Reborn as A small device to hover above the ground for A moment as the lightning chains crawled across the ground under him. Cynder didn't even move, and I became somewhat nervous when the lightning seemed to charge Cynder.

"Things have changed Abyss"

Emperor sighed as he dropped back to the ground and put the Reborn on his back in one fluid motion as he landed. I shook my head slowly as Emperor started to speak again.

"With the newfound information of science, I have been able to counter all of your attacks Abyss; you can't win this one"

He said as Cynder started materializing some Invisible Nightmares and some DeathBringers. When he said this, I started feeling numb all over.

_Did the Shadow Stepper actually tell the truth?_

I thought as I saw Emperor change the Reborn's Phase into Damage.

_Can I actually finish this fight?_

I thought as I felt the spikes all over my body start to grow longer and become more pointed.

"Cynder?"

Emperor asked quietly. Cynder took her fierce gaze off of me and looked at him.

"I need you to leave"

He said quietly. Cynder's eyes widened A little, but she didn't say anything.

"Now Cynder, go!"

He said as he pushed her away. She left reluctantly, and when she had left the area, Emperor looked back at me, and I crossed my arms.

"Well, if it isn't the deep Green scum"

I said maliciously as I let an evil smile cross my face. Thunder roared in the distance and lightning flashed, Illuminating Emperor's tense face. As he fell to his knees for some reason, he put his hands over his head as if he had A splitting headache.

"You are A fool to challenge me"

I said as I let the metal blades that were between my fingers emerge from the skin. I raised that hand when the blades were fully extended to slice his pitiful body into three perfect slices as I watched him kneel before me.

"Maybe you should've weighed your options before fighting me"

I said as that hand started to glow Blue, White and Purple. As I was about to bring down my hand to slice him, he suddenly sprang up from his kneeling position and jumped back, resetting with A roll to face me. I could hear his heavy breathing as I let my hand drop to my side. It wasn't glowing anymore, but the blades were still out, so I took A thoughtful, mocking stance.

"It looks like the Emperor wants to challenge the master"

I said mockingly as I turned around as if I was announcing this to an audience. As I turned back to him, he was shaking his head. He didn't shake his head much longer, and when he was finished, Emperor looked up at me as if he didn't know me anymore.

"You're not Abyss; you're A monster"

He said quietly as he narrowed his eyes at me. I could tell that he was starting to become something other than himself by the way he was starting to become hunched over and that his voice was becoming deeper. I stood up straight.

"That's right, and now you're going to die before me"

I said as I put A mask over my face.

_That's odd, I don't remember having anything like this before_

I said to myself as the mask seemed to attach itself to my face.

"If you can promise not to bleed all over my scales while i'm gutting you, i'll make your death quick and painless"

I said as I got into my fighting stance. Emperor had A look of shock go over his face, but he quickly recovered and drew the Reborn off of his back.

"Why are you doing this Abyss?"

He asked tensely as he changed the Reborn's phase to Damage once again. I grinned.

"Why have you come to challenge me when you know you're going to lose?"

I countered as I looked away absently. I heard Emperor growl, saw the Reborn flash Purple, and felt him drive A kick into my chest. I looked back at Emperor, who looked at me fearfully.

"What… how?"

He said as I saw him clench his teeth in what seemed to be pain and anger. He brought his foot down, and tried A spinning inside crescent kick, which I dodged. He resetted, jumped into the air and tried to axe-kick my head. I casually took A step back and resumed my casual stance. Emperor tried to RoundHouse kick me, but he lost his balance during the span of time he readied his kick.

"I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you"

I stated coldly as I backhanded him so hard, he spun like A corkscrew and landed face-first on the ground and skidded to A halt A few feet away from me.

"It seems like you're losing your touch Emperor"

I said as an evil grin crept across my mouth. Emperor groaned on the ground as I resumed my casual stance.

"I can't believe that I actually lost to you twice"

I said as Emperor tried to get up from the ground.

"You call this your best?"

I started as I watched him try to get up unsuccessfully.

"What I call this is pathetic; just look at how weak you are!"

I taunted as he pushed himself up from the ground and faced me. The Reborn seemed to be sparking, and it was turning A Red color.

"I'm gonna break that mask, and your skull!"

He yelled as he launched forward, and prepared A powerful double spin kick, I waited, unimpressed by his actions and his reverse heel kick impacted the side of my head. A loud ringing noise went through the area. It reverberated through my head, causing my ears ring and my vision my vision swim for A moment. Emperor held his kick stance.

_The ringing probably hurt him so much, he's paralyzed_

I thought as the ringing sound slowly dissipated.

"Why would I avoid your attacks?"

I asked him as he looked at me again in disbelief.

"To take them would be preposterous!"

I yelled as I flipped him into the air. He spun in the air momentarily, and when he was right in front of me, about to hit the ground, I slammed my elbow into his chest. When I hit him, A flash of Blue illuminated the area, lighting up the fear in his face as I hit him. He spun away from me and hit the ground and skidded across it, but amazingly, he recovered from the rolling action and skidded to A halt. His head was down and I could see that he was breathing heavily. He looked up at me, and I could see that his eyes were completely Black.

"You're gonna pay for that"

He said quietly as the Reborn had turned A deep Red color. It was glowing softly too. I materialized some DeathBringers and I looked at him coldly.

"You're going to put your life on the line to save your friends?"

I asked as I felt them nudge my back slightly. Emperor growled softly.

"I would die for them"

He said as I commanded my DeathBringers to fire. Emperor dodged all of them and tried swinging at me with the Reborn, but he missed every slash.

"You're not going to win"

I said softly as I grabbed him by his neck and tossed him away from me. He rolled A couple of times and resetted in an upright stance. Emperor growled loudly, and when he did, an explosion of Red mist surrounded him for A second and he started charging at me. He tried another spinning RoundHouse kick to my side. He was able to hit me, but it didn't move me at all.

"Why don't you understand that you're only doing harm to yourself?!"

I yelled as I held him with my right hand and brought back my left hand and slapped him so hard, he spun like A corkscrew again and skidded to A halt A distance away from me.

"It seems that you're not getting the point here Emperor; I'm afraid not"

I said with mock sympathy as I resumed my casual stance once again.

"Nothing can destroy me, let alone you"

I said as I studied my elbow spikes.

"The way I see it, I'm bringing about the end of your tyranny"

I said as I looked at him.

"There's also nothing you can do to stop me"

I declared as I crossed my arms.

"I'd also like to let you know that your friend Lily is going to be the sacrifice to my new order; our new salvation to my new and ideal world that I will create"

I stated as Emperor looked at me furiously. I could see pinpoints of White light in his Black eyes as he bared his teeth, which were now long and sharp. I took A step forwards and put my arms out at my sides.

"You should be proud to have played A part in my master plan"

I told him as a smile creeped across my face. Emperor's eyes widened and he growled loudly.

"What did you say!?"

He practically screamed at me.

"If you do something like that, I wouldn't hesitate to do anything less than tortue you until you beg for mercy!"

He started.

"If you think that I would let one of my friends be sacrificed to your delusional plans, you must be lost!"

He yelled at me as I stretched.

"I'll say it until I lose my voice Emperor; one of your friends must die, preferably Lily"

I started as I resumed my casual stance.

"Last time I checked, you had no feelings for Lily anyways, so what would you lose?"

I asked as I got ready to taunt him again.

"With the power that rests inside of Lily, I can take full control of this world, and then, I will go on to conquer everything!"

I declared loudly as I put my arms out to my sides. Emperor reeled as if I had hit him.

"Who do you think you are to do that!?"

He yelled as I saw him tense up. I crossed my arms and looked at Emperor coldy.

"I am the ruler of this planet, and then, I will be the ruler of the universe!"

I said quietly, but A loud laugh came from my mouth after I said that statement.

_That should do it_

I told myself as I saw Emperor clench his teeth and growl loudly. I saw his eyes light up and his body glow A bright Green color for A second. Emperor stomped his left foot on the ground so hard, the ground cracked underneath his foot.

"I'm going to kill you Abyss!"

Emperor screamed. As he launched towards me. A loud boom went through the area as he launched, and I saw the air around him get displaced as he launched.

"Wait… how did he?"

I asked myself as I saw Emperor launch towards me at such A fast pace, I barely had time to react to what he was doing.

"He's actually done it"

I said in disbelief as he kicked the center of my mask so hard, my mask cracked all over. My eyes widened in horror and amazement when he impacted me. For A second, nothing happened. I couldn't hear anything but the cracking of my mask.

"Did he actually?"

I started to ask, but the air around me exploded into wind, and I was thrown backwards at A high rate of speed. He hit me with so much force, I couldn't plant my feet correctly, and since I didn't do what I was supposed to do, I was knocked out momentarily. I was still conscious, but I couldn't move. I barreled through the air so fast, I skimmed the top of the magma that was underneath me, and I displaced the top of the pooling magma as I flew over it. I felt the mask leave my face as I traveled backwards. I barely saw it go flying away from me at A diagonal trajectory as I contemplated what my next action would be. I flew through the air expecting to impact nothing, but as I was about to convince myself that nothing would happen, I impacted the back of A rock and went right through it because of the force that I still carried. Even though I was far away from him, I could see Emperor impact the ground and skid to A halt. The mask that I was wearing fell near his head and it shone in the brightly colored magma. I felt the air resistance slowing me down, and when I was going slow enough, I dug my clawed hand into the ground. I saw my claws cut into the ground below me and sparks fly from my claws as I slowed myself to A halt. I tried standing up and slowing my breathing, but it hurt to breathe. My vision swam as I stood up. It took me A moment to catch my breath and to get my vision to become sharp once again. I staggered A little as I stood up straight and I put my hand over my face. My body temperature was very hot and I didn't know if I was going to be able to do much more fighting. I heard my blood rushing through my veins and my heart beating loudly as I was finally able to steady myself. I looked at Emperor coldly. I could feel numerous cuts, and scrapes stinging from the cuts the mask had made. I must've looked pretty bad to Emperor, because he managed to smile and comment on how I looked up from the ground and focused on me.

"Of all the times i've seen you, you're the ugliest now"

He said softly as he strained to look up at me.

"So is your temper and the action I'm about to take"

I said as I let my face became expressionless as I started to walk towards my impending victory.

_I'm so close, I can taste my victory!_

I exclaimed in my mind as I started walking forward.

"I knew that I was going to win"

I told myself as I got close to where my enemy was lying. He was still looking up at me.

"You're not going to win this one Abyss"

He told me as he let his head drop to the side. I scoffed.

"Looking at the current situation, I believe that I'm in total control at this point"

I said as I raised my hand up, with my palm facing sideways.

"You're going to die before me"

I announced as my hand started to glow Blue, White and Black.

"It was such A shame that you of all the individuals that I could kill had to be the one to fight me"

I started with mock pity as I felt my power peak.

"But with you out of the way, I will succeed in all my aspirations!"

I yelled as I brought my hand down, right in front of Emperor. I heard A cry of pain as I saw A line of Blue and White color make A shockwave arc that made A line that glowed as my target was slowly cut in half. I couldn't wait to see Emperor in half in front of me. I saw and heard sparks and the sizzling of flesh as the line cut not only through him, but all of the land behind Emperor and went on to cut the Caldera in half. I heard rumbling in the distance as the land under me was cut.

"How does that domination feel?"

I asked mockingly as the light died down. I knew that I had been victorious, but I wanted to see with my own eyes that I had accomplished the task that I had been waiting for. I had spent so much time, effort and training to achieve this moment. I had to blink my eyes A couple of times before the light faded, but when the light had died down, I growled loudly.

"How is this possible!?"

I screamed as I looked down at who I had cut in half. The individual was A Red color and I stomped my foot in frustration.

_All this time, all this energy and all this work; and it was for nothing!_

I screamed in my mind as I looked at the line that was burned into this individual. I traced the line with my eyes, but I felt A sense of accomplishment. The one that was before me was on his knees, and he fell backwards when I had let my hand drop to my side. I was about to leave when I heard him speak.

"I told you that I would never let you forget my name, right?"

The individual said as I turned halfway away from him. I laughed to myself.

"You're the one who defeated me before"

I murmured to myself as I looked back at him. The individual laughed very softly.

"Yeah; that's me alright"

He said as I heard him sigh heavily.

"How have you not died already?"

I asked as I looked at the Red lightning that was crackling around the Caldera.

"In my opinion, I don't have permission to die yet"

Rojo said softly as I turned to look back at him.

"Is that so?"

I asked as I walked to stand myself in front of him. The ground started cracking open and drifting away close to Rojo, and I smiled A little.

"You might want to consider this as your permission from me"

I said as I grabbed him by his neck and held him in the air, over A portion of lava that had just cracked away from the original placement.

"If the land that we live on doesn't spit you out from how bad you would taste, I recommend that you never come back if you wish not to die again"

I said maliciously as I narrowed my eyes and dropped him into the lava that was underneath him. I picked up my mask from the ground and put it over my face so I could watch my victim melt in the lava. I watched the lava bubble furiously and his scales sizzle as they were slowly burned away from the sheer heat of the lava. The mask cut most of the light from the magma, so I could watch the entirety of this event play out.

"It's funny that he had the Fire Element inside of him, but yet, he's dying to the very element that chose him"

I said to myself as I turned away from the carnage that I had created. Suddenly, I had A thought.

_What if I didn't' kill him fully_

I started in my mind as I started climbing up the side of the Caldera.

_Does he have the ability to come back?_

I thought about this as I crawled up the side of the Caldera. It seemed like there really was nothing that could stand in my way now. It didn't take long for me to reach the top of Caldera, and when I did, I pulled myself over the ledge to meet everyone that was with me.

"Did you accomplish your task Abyss?"

Gold asked me nonchalantly as I watched Gold and Black lightning chains crawl around his shoulders and hands. It seemed as if he was angry or distressed about something. I took A deep breath and I tried to center myself and tried to stop sweating so profusely.

"I... kind of did that"

I said quietly. Gold and Venom looked at me oddly.

"What do you mean you _kind of _finished your task Abyss?"

The Mastermind asked through Venom as I saw his fingers twitch oddly. I saw Venom sneer to himself.

"I knew he couldn't do it"

I heard him whisper. In reaction to this, I stomped my foot on the ground.

"What did you accomplish then!?"

I roared back at him and he looked at me with mock pity.

"I'm so deeply depressed that you couldn't finish your work; we were counting on you"

He said even more tauntingly. Now, I had had enough.

"So you think I'm dead weight, right?"

I asked him furiously as I felt heat course over my back.

"Tell me who you killed in your battle!"

I yelled at Venom. I saw his eyes go completely Black and white pinpoints appear in them.

"I know exactly who you killed Abyss, don't listen to Venom"

The Mastermind stated coldly as it looked directly at him. Venom rolled his eyes and looked at Gold, who was looking down at the Caldera.

"I can tell that you killed one"

He murmured as he narrowed his eyes at something in the middle of the Caldera. The rest of us lined up on both sides of him and looked down at what he was seeing.

"Didn't you try to make A joke about how your opponent died Abyss?"

Venom asked me as I caught sight of something floating near the surface of the magma that was bubbling out of the thin layer of ground that the Caldera once had.

"I did, yes"

I replied nonchalantly as I felt something cross my mind.

_If my thoughts are correct, then Rojo will come back again_

Right after this, I took A sharp breath, which got the attention of everyone that was with me.

"If you killed him, then why are you nervous Abyss?"

The Mastermind asked me as I tried to get A better view of this object.

"I think it's because he may be lying to us?"

Gold suggested as he shrugged. I scowled at him.

"What reason would I have to lie to any of you?"

I growled as I stabbed my finger at Gold. he smiled to himself as he looked at the ground.

"I don't know Abyss, what reason do you have to?"

He asked me as he turned to the Mastermind.

"So what's you plan now?"

Gold asked with mock interest. In response to that, the Mastermind only laughed cruelly.


	26. Chapter 25 (EPILOGUE)

EPILOGUE

split(Emperor/Lemon)

A lot had changed to say the least. I had learned A lot as well. I had no idea what would happen now. Most of everyone I knew had gone into isolation. I sighed as I reached my hand out to open the door of the CourtHouse. Before I went inside, I checked to make sure the candles were lighted in the main room. I scratched the back of my neck as I walked into the room. The entirety of the room looked really gloomy and dark by the way the candlelight spilled over the walls. I picked out NorthWind and Frostbite right away. They were sitting in the chairs that were on the opposite sides of the table. They looked up at me with somber faces and bleary eyes as I sat down at the edge of the table on the ground at an equal distance away from them. I felt my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room with faint pain as I looked at NorthWind first and then to Frostbite.

"I know it's been tough, but we have to press on"

I said quietly as I looked at the floor. I heard Frostbite sob some more quietly and NorthWind stayed silent. I had to look at the floor because I didn't want to see their depression. Of everyone that I knew, these two had been hit the hardest by the loss of Rojo.

"How are we supposed to move on!?"

Northwind cried as her voice broke. More of her tears fell to the floor. This caused Frostbite to get up and walk over to her sister and comfort her. I wasn't able to stand and watch the two cry together. I had known what it was like to lose my immediate family, but I had no idea that losing Rojo would have this amount of an effect on the people.

L_ooking back on it now, we've lost A lot more than just Rojo; we've lost Venom, Gold, Abyss, Siren and NightShade and all the others that were lost to the war and the ones we've lost to the aggression of the oppositional forces_

I thought as I looked up at the ceiling. Apparently, I had been staring off into space since the sobbing in the room had stopped. When I regained my consciousness, I saw Halcyon waving his hand in front of my face.

"I can see your hand now Halcyon; you don't need to wave it anymore"

I sighed as I locked eyes with him. He seemed to be not only emotionally stressed by something, but mentally as well.

"I need you to come with me"

He stated flatly as he tugged me along by my arm. He led me out of the door and I fell into pace with him as he walked along A brisk place.

"Where are we going to?"

I asked him tensely as we walked. I could hear his strained breathing, but I could also hear A faint wheezing sound in his lungs as we walked.

I_ wonder what's causing the wheezing in his breath_

I asked myself as we stopped in front of another building that I hadn't seen before. It was A run-down building that was oddly on the same island that Lemon's lab was.

"Do you know what this place is?"

I asked Halcyon as we stood right in front of the door that led into this place. I took in the cracked windows, the wires and ropes that sprawled out of the windows like arms and legs. I saw the dust that accumulated through time span the length between the inner and outer window.

"This place is what's commonly referred to as the Condemned Laboratory"

Halcyon said quietly and with tension as we heard some scratching noises come from the inside of the building. I could hear the wheezing coming from Halcyon's breaths clearly now.

"If the place was to be Condemned, why is it not destroyed?"

I asked as the scratching noises became marginally louder. Halcyon looked at me oddly, then back to the building.

"I am not sure why that is, but there are stories that label this building as haunted"

He said even quieter now. I had to strain my ears so that I could hear him.

_Ask him about the wheezing in his breaths_

A voice told me in my head. I considered my options regarding this subject as Halcyon shifted uneasily. Deciding it couldn't do much harm, I decided to ask him.

"Are you feeling ok Halcyon?"

I asked him nervously as the wheezing became as evident as it could be.

"You don't want to go in there Emperor"

He said suddenly as he turned to face me. I looked at him oddly. I could see the fear and tension in his face as he looked at me.

"Whatever is in there is not friendly; i've seen it take individuals as strong as you out in seconds"

He said seriously as I continued looking at him oddly. Then, my expression changed from interested, into inquisitiveness.

"What exactly did you see in there?"

I asked as I turned all the way to face him. Halcyon closed his eyes and shuddered. He was also shaking A little.

"You know what Lemon is, right Emperor?"

He asked me as we locked eyes again. My breath caught in my throat.

"Are you sure that's what you're trying to describe?"

I breathed as the scratching became somewhat quieter. Halcyon started to nod slowly and I let my breath out in A low whistle.

"So that's why you don't want me to go in there"

I said quietly as I looked at the door. Through the missing glass in the door, I thought I could see two pinpoints of Yellow light somewhere in the area behind the door. I saw this just as the moon came out from behind the clouds. The Bluish-White light may have tricked my eyes, but I thought what I saw was real.

"Do you believe me Emperor?"

He asked as I turned back to him. He seemed to be satisfied with the expression that I held because he smiled A little.

"If I leave here, can you promise me that you won't go in there?"

He asked me as something stopped sharply behind me. I whipped around and once again tried to sweep the individual behind me, but whoever was behind me moved faster and put me in an arm-lock. I heard the individual gasp and let me go immediately. I looked at who had done this to me in the bright moonlight.

"Lemon?"

Halcyon and I asked incredulously as she let me go and went right to the door that led into this place.

"I'm very sorry Emperor, but you just…"

Her voice trailed off as she turned around to face both of us. Her left eye had gone completely Black, while the White pinpoint of light shone brightly

"Just don't follow me, OK?"

She said as the door opened and shut behind her.

Lemon's P.O.V

I shut the door behind me, and the sound of it echoed off of the vast expanse of the room I had walked into. I knew this place very well, but I never wanted to remember even one second of what I used to do here. My single LED light produced enough light for me to make my way about the room. I looked at the room that could be right next to the word disrepair in the United Island Almanac of Words. I looked at the glass that littered the floor, the mold that grew on the walls, the grass that grew up from the floor, the mushrooms that hung from the ceiling, and the smell of stale chemicals and something that was rotting.

"It's been A long time since I've been here"

I said quietly to myself as I walked across the floor, being careful not to step on any glass or syringes that were all over the floor. My voice echoed softly in the room. I looked up to the vents that crawled over the top of the room, and I sighed when I saw Black mold line the walls of the vents.

"It really has been A long time"

Something said in same way that I had just talked. The voice had the same pitch, depth and tone as mine did. Startled, I looked around wildly, but I couldn't find where the voice had come from. Then, the rattling and shaking started. Slowly, I followed the noise of whatever made these sounds until my light settled on something I wished never to have seen again.

"No...it's not possible"

I breathed to myself in disbelief. I watched the object shake violently as if something was struggling inside of it. I watched A foreign liquid come from the joints of this thing As it shook violently. I watched the LED lights in its eye sockets glow faintly as I saw the full extent of the degradation. Rust had taken A toll of this creature, as most of the endoskeleton was rusted, and every time the thing shook and rattled, I heard A faint squeaking noise come from the endoskeleton. I couldn't take my eyes off of this nightmarish thing.

"I thought I destroyed my EY-001 prototype"

I breathed to myself as I saw one of the eyes fall out of its head. It struggled A little to get up from leaning against the wall, but it didn't take long for it to get up from the floor. I heard the voice box crackle as my machine calibrated it.

"I thought you were the one that made me"

It said as it tried taking wobbly steps towards me. In fear, I took A step back for every step the thing took towards me. In the dim moonlight, I could now see just how much degradation had taken place.

"Why did I have to use synthetic skin and scales?"

I asked myself quietly as something started to leak out of the left eye of this creature. I looked at the holes that were in the head, the side, and legs of this thing that I had made. I could also now see some organs in the side of the creature.

"Wait"

I said aloud as A horrible smell flooded my nose, and I staggered away from the creature as I started to retch. Trying not to throw up from the sheer horrid smell and image from the creature

"No...it's not possible"

I breathed to myself once again.

"I refuse to believe the stories are true!"

I said aloud as the creature seemed to freeze in place. I heard the joints lock and the servos hum faintly as the creature's mouth curved up into A horrid, Nightmarish smile, which caused some of this creature's teeth to fall out. I heard the synthetic teeth fall to the floor as my wave of nausea finally passed. My swimming vision returned to normal, and my stomach finally stopped burning. I knew that there was only once place to go to be safe from the experiment that I never should've created in the first place. I turned to run away from the creature, so that I could run to the elevator that was near the back of this floor. I ran away from the creature, but as I turned to take my first step, I heard the creature say something that chilled me to my bones.

"Don't you care for me, mother?"

I heard the creature say. The voice box crackled A little as I ran. I nearly slipped on the floor that was littered with chemicals and glass until I finally found the elevator. I hit the descending button, and walked backwards into the elevator to make sure that I was safe, but as I walked backwards, I saw the creature unlock itself and start running towards me. The doors started to close just as the creature was within harms distance of me. My breath caught in my throat as the doors were about to close. The creature impacted the door so hard, the outline of this creature's hand was imprinted in the Stainless Steel doors that were _three inches thick. _

"What am I going to do?"

I asked myself as I collapsed to the floor in fear, grief and tension. I buried my face in my hands as the elevator continued to descend. I felt waves of cold go up and down my body, along with the occasional twitch that caused my fingers to go cold. The elevator stopped sharply, jarring me from the thoughts.

"Floor B5; you may now exit the elevator"

The emotionless robotic voice announced. I looked at the LED display that I had created. Indeed it had shown the right thing, since the doors opened, revealing A long hallway that had something glowing at the end of it, but I continued looking at the LED display for some reason. It may have been my fear and stress, but I thought I saw the LED lights rearrange themselves into the face of the EY-001.

"Why won't you accept me?"

The LED display said somewhat dejectedly.

"No… you're not real!"

I tried to convince myself as I was transfixed to the screen.

"I'm not going to let you take over my actions again!"

I said nervously as I backed myself against the wall of the elevator.

"You've left me here to rot and to fall from everyone's minds"

The creature said through the LED screen. I shook my head.

"It was Cynder that didn't want to release you!"

I said nervously and with fear as I felt the wires that were around my fingers loosen and start to slither around my hands, causing waves of cold go up and down my body.

"If that was the case, why did you leave me here to decompose?"

I heard it say as the LED screen went dark for A moment, then relight the display.

"I...I"

I tried to get the words out that I wanted to say, but I was petrified with fear. I saw my LED eye flicker for A moment, and then the pain started. My eyes started to cloud with black words, and I felt the numbness and cold that was going up and down my body become the most profoundly present then it has ever been.

"You know what?"

I growled as I got up. My vision became more acute, my hearing became even more acute, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears and my fingers started to twitch.

"It wasn't my fault that you malfunctioned!"

I seethed as I looked up at the LED display. The creature smiled.

"As the operator of my body, you should've been aware of all the errors that could've been present"

It said as its eyes flashed momentarily.

"Since you have taken my possibility of life away from me, I'm going to take yours away"

It said as something landed on top of the elevator. I jumped through the doors and into the hallway, just as something extremely sharp cut through the top of the elevator. Whatever landed on top of the elevator cut through the top of it and dropped down into the elevator car.

"I'm not going to let this happen"

I declared as my body took over itself. I raised my hand and the wires in the ceiling wrapped themselves around my wrist, arms, legs, and neck loosely. A DeathBringer formed on my right side, my left side and over my head. I felt the wires slither around me as I held the DeathBringer in place.

"I can feel your rage and dejection, but that's no reason to take it out on others"

I stated as I continued to hold the DeathBringer. I could feel it squirming, like it wanted to destroy whatever was in front of me.

"If that's the case, then you wouldn't have abandoned me like you did"

It said as it started taking unbalanced and wobbly steps towards me. As it walked towards me, it put its arms out at its sides, its fingers causing sparks and creating A very high-pitched screeching sound that hurt my ears, but I was able to bear it somehow. Also, as it walked, it lit up the experimental tanks that held my other failed experiments. It stopped and looked at the one closest to it.

"How am I different than any other of these failed experiments here?"

it asked as it looked up at me once again. I could now see what foreign liquid was leaking from its body. _It was blood_. Leaking from its eyes, nose, mouth, ear holes, tear ducts, and from the holes in its body. I could also see that it was changing itself. Its teeth were growing longer, its fingers were melting and turning into claws and its eyes were starting to melt away to let only its LED lights remain. They were Blood Red now instead of White.

"They kept you as the Royal Scientist, even though you've failed so many times?"

It asked, seething with rage. I could hear it rattling softly. It twitched and shook violently as it neared my position. I brought my hands down, causing the DeathBringer fire its shot. The wires suddenly heated up and my core temperature rose momentarily. I half-smiled to myself, expecting to see the creature in A melted puddle of Tungsten on the floor. The room exploded into smoke, glass, and other things as A shockwave of air went through the room. I shielded myself from the shards of glass as the air ran through the room, shattering glass and other objects flew around the room as if they were children's toys. When the air died down, and the smoke had cleared, I looked in horror at what I had done. I looked at the melting body of the creature and the melting organs that were spilling out of the sides of this thing. It looked even worse now than it had been when I first had encountered this thing. It struggled to stand upright as I looked in horror at what I had done.

"You'll pay for that"

It said softly. Suddenly, I was thrown into hallucinations. I was recalling all of my failures in my experiments, I was reliving my greatest fears, I was seeing death and destruction. All of these things, I hated and didn't want to remember. I wanted to fight back, but I was too scared to. I shook my head violently and vigorously to try and get these images out of my mind, but I was unable to.

"Stop, Stop this now!"

I cried out as I staggered along. I felt the wires loosening their tension as I staggered backwards. I also felt the tension leaving me as well. My vision became slightly less acute, my hearing became less acute, and my heartbeat was not longer present in my ears. I could feel my blood rushing through my body though I put my hands on my head as I continued to stagger backwards.

"Are you understanding now just how much pain you're putting me through EY-002?"

It asked me as I fell on my back, knocking the wind out of me and temporarily disorienting me.

"An eye for an eye, A tooth for A tooth, and A life for A life"

I heard the thing say as it lifted me up by my neck and walked me over to the nearest wall and held me against it. I felt the grip on my throat tighten as the creature started speaking with me again.

"You will know what it's like to be left alone for revolutions with no one to be around except for yourself"

It said as it continually tightened its hold on my throat. I started to lose feeling in my joints as I started to be suffocated.

_I don't understand why I need breath; I'm A machine, but also"Normal" by the standards of others_

I thought as I started to become drowsy. It felt like I had never slept before in my life.

_It was nice knowing everyone; I just now need make sure that Emperor doesn't fall like his father did_

"Like Emperor's father once said: I have existed from the morning of the world, and I will exist until the last star falls from the night!"

It said as it took me away from the wall and slammed me back into it.

_The others, most specifically Cynder, was right_

I told myself as I gave into the choking of this creature. My body went limp.

"Just like you to surrender"

The thing said as it continued bringing me back from the wall and slamming me back into it. The melting metal from the creature burned into my scales as as it continued to choke me.

_I wish I could've done what I needed to do and say what I needed to say_

I thought sadly as I gave up.

_You're not done yet; I have A plan for you_

A voice told me. As soon as I heard this, energy coursed through me and I kicked the creature in the chest and it rocketed away from me. It impacted the wall on the other side of the room and didn't move.

"I wonder how that happened?"

I asked myself as I rubbed my back softly. I hurt all over, but I was somehow able to stay standing and alert.

_Maybe my body went into "Survival Mode"_

I thought as my attention was captured by something that was glowing on the floor.

"A teleporter, here?"

I asked myself as it spun up to the teleportation RPM

"You're not going to get away that easy"

The machine said. Startled, I backed away A little, tripped on my own boot, and fell backwards into the teleporter.

"We've succeeded boss"

was all I heard before I felt A falling sensation. I had no idea what I was going to do now….


	27. Supporting Text (Character Bios)

(Reading these before reading my story would be wise, as of right now, I don't have a backstory yet) More descriptions on the way!

Emperor: the child of fate that was born to save the land from the evil that he never knew of. Almost alone and helpless right after he was born, his mother gave her life so he could have a chance at being in the war-torn world he knows as home. Now, Emperor must face challenges that he never knew of all the while something in him is fighting for control.

Evil/Devil Emperor: no longer his former self, this iteration of Emperor only wants to seek three things; death, destruction and more power. He has abandoned his former caring and compassionate self for these three things and is only able to revert after being defeated or expending too much of his power. After a reversion, the gene only makes itself more prominent; infecting more of his body.

Marine: a cheerful individual of the United Islands and is one of the best cadets in Rojo's army. That is to say that he's lasted longer than a day in the classes since Rojo is so harsh on his cadets. He usually spends time with his friend and only rival in the cadet class Sapphire, who consistently eggs him on about breaking limits. He strives to be better, but everything has a limit; will he realize this before he does something that he regrets?

Water Elemental Marine: this iteration of Marine gives him almost total control over the Water Element. Only after awakening the true power in him and having the Claw Fragment accept him as the one to wield it, only then can Marine gain this power. His speed and attack power have risen amazingly and can mix other elements with water, but much like other Claw fragment Guardians, they rely on power to neutralize enemies quickly. With this power, will Marine be able to rise to the potential that he thinks he has?

Rojo: the fearless and daunting captain of the United Island Archipelago. He has been the captain for the longest time and has never lost a war due to his unnatural ability to strategize and plan. he's extremely harsh on his cadets because he wants to keep his perfect win ratio. He's never let anyone down, but has taken a tremendous loss to treat his cadets this way. He also knows many things that others don't; could this be the reason that he's reluctant and secretive at times and what is this loss? Only he knows…

True Hero Rojo: the iteration of Rojo that's actually been defeated. He has lost his soul but continues to fight because of his unrelenting spirit. He will not rest until the world that he knows is safe and every enemy has been neutralized. His speed and power have gone up and now has partial control over the Fire Element. In addition to losing his spirit, he has lost his mind, rendering his ability to comprehend almost absent. He may have some memories though…

Fire Element Rojo: the iteration of Rojo that exists for the sole purpose of testing those who think that they are strong. He has become one with the Fire Element and this has turned him into a borderline monster with awesome speed and strength. He has lost all of his memories and puts compassion and mercy behind him to master the art of fighting to prove that he is the strongest. The Claw Fragment he possesses powers him and the only way to contain this power is in the volcano that he resides in. will he ever be the same?

Venom: a loyal friend to Rojo and a long-time mentor to Marine and Sapphire. He's been around for some time, but individuals rarely see him and when they do, he seems to be combatting something internally. Rojo has tried to find out what this is, only to make him go back into hiding. Why is he so secretive and for someone his size and strength, why wouldn't he be more open? Only he knows this.

True Hero Venom: the iteration of Venom that exists for the sole reason to finish business. He will not rest until his enemies have been neutralized and will continue to fight until no more evil is present. His speed and power have gone up, giving him the ability to temporarily access the Seishin No Nikushimi, but what will this do? Who are his enemies and why won't he rest?

Condemned Venom: this iteration of Venom has been consumed by the Seishin No Nikushimi, drastically affecting his mindset and thought process. He has abandoned his code of honor and has replaced it pure rage and hatred. His power and speed have increased to amazing levels due to the actions of someone that was close to him. Who was this individual and what did this individual do to make him this way?

Cynder: Emperor's would-be wife and eventual queen to the United Island Archipelago. She has been on the island for some time and has overseen many of the operations that the island does every day. Her childhood is something that was shrouded in mystery that only one other individual knows. She's cocky and arrogant due to the fact that she has graduated from Rojo's training and has mastered many elemental divisions. She doesn't take anything from anyone and for the individuals that stand in her way, they remember the burning pain that she brought upon them. Unlike the other individuals on the island, she is the product of a rare mutation of the original gene that made her a "Rex", with wings and natural Fire Element abilities. Why is she so angry all the time and why does Emperor stay away from her?

Dragon Cynder: this iteration of Cynder has grown to the size of a dragon while retaining all of her elemental abilities. She has lost her mind and now only wants two things: destruction and currency. While her size may be daunting, she is very susceptible to being bribed and things that don't move she cannot see. Even though her scales have grown larger, they are softer and do not provide the protection of her original scales. What causes this change and why is it worse than her original form?

Lemon: the Royal Scientist of the United Island archipelago. She has many secrets to keep about herself and what she has done with her time in the lab. She has created some good things, but others have gone horribly wrong. She's also very timid and reluctant to do many things, so it's odd that she's friends with Cynder. What secrets does she keep and why does she spend so much of her time in hiding? Also, what purpose do those wires around her fingers serve?

Error Lemon: this iteration of Lemon looks nothing like her former self. With the energy that powers her and stimulation from an outside element, she becomes this way. She now has access to some elements and DeathBringers. Any weapon that she touches starts to disintegrate into weird tiny cubes that emit these little words. What caused her to be this way and what are these cubes with the words?

NorthWind and Frostbite: sisters who were born into a cold climate. At a young age, they were immersed into not only magic, but into war as well. They narrowly escaped death by their parents, who used a very powerful magic that transported them to the United Island Archipelago. Since the two are twins, it's hard to tell them apart, but their personalities are marginally different. Both are now experts in Ice Magic and can foretell events that are close in the future. While Frostbite may be a part of the High Council, is has been observed that NorthWind has better use of Ice Magic and exhibits more strength than her sister. Oddly, the two don't fight, but work together. There has been speculation that they may be two separate entities, but this has yet to be confirmed.

Sub-Zero NorthWind and Frostbite: this iteration of the twins needs three things to take place: a cold area, extreme tension and charged Ice Magic. In this form, the sisters have more power, but less speed. In addition to this, the two seem to have minor metal enhancements on their body. Their casting time is shortened drastically and the two seem to share an unbreakable bond. The two also seem to have telepathy that they share. What is the true extent of their power?

Lime: the youngest and most composed of the United Island High Council. He's smart and composed, something that not many see on the island chain. As his name implies, he's a lime Green color with a scar on his chest. He also possesses one of the most advanced weapons on the island chain: a gun sword. Others think that he's overly confident in everything. What's the reason for this? How did he rIse to power so quickly? Why does he have the scar on his chest? These are some of the questions that the commoners ask, but he never answers these. Is there something evil at work here?

Rose: the other only female individual on the High council. The commoners like to think that she's a spy because of the story that she tells to those who want to know about her past, but it makes almost no sense that they think of her as a spy. She's very conscious of how she looks and acts. Most of the time, since she's so conscious, others make fun of her, causing her to fly off the handle. She also wants to prove that males are not the only ones who have power, and as a result, caused damage after proving this. Other than these elements, she's very much into nature and incense, documenting everything that she can about these flora elements. Why does she do this? Why does she try to prove herself, and mostly, is the story about her true?

Black Rose: this iteration of Rose has been influenced by two things: an outside entity and Shell Souls. Because of these, she has lost her mind and compassion, doing the bidding of those who control the Shell souls. She thinks of only death and destruction, tearing apart almost anything that gets in her way. The Shell Souls have given her power and speed, but can only do the bidding of the one who controls her. There is no known way to break the Shell Souls, so how, if it's possible, can she be reverted?

Halcyon: president and Chairman of the United Island Archipelago. He's the son of one of the most destructive individuals in the island's history and is trying to change that. He's wise, smart and composed, but others fear him for the power that he possesses and those Purple eyes of his. He is the mentor to Emperor and looks out for him, trying to keep the evil in him at bay. So, why does he have all this power and those Purple Irises? Maybe it's because of this that he's able to use many elemental magic divisions and DeathBringers...only he knows.

True Halcyon: No availible information

Mercury: the oldest individual on the High Council. He has seen Cynder and Halcyon mature and because of this, has become the second smartest on the United Island Archipelago. He is close to dying, so he's trying to do everything he can to be a help before he does. What will he do with the information he has, and will he get desperate trying to prolong his life, or will he go insane first?

Heavy Metal Mercury: this iteration of Mercury no longer looks like his former self at all; he has sacrificed his mind and body so he could add years to his life. His melting body and Yellow irises scare those who try to approach him. As a result of this, he now inhabits various energy plants and looks for ways to revert himself to what he was. In pursuit of this, he was able to find a way to inhabit machine internals. Will his lost mind and body cause him to do something that he will regret?

NightShade: a former member of the High Council and high-ranking member of the United Island Archipelago. He's overweight and has a silver tongue, making others do his bidding. He doesn't care much for others and looks to torment those who are under him in stature. He thinks that he has everything under his thumb because of Currency Fruit, but when will his time run out?

Dry NightShade: a skeleton of the former individual that was resurrected by an individual of great power. No longer his former self, he has sacrificed almost all of his body for power, and as a result, lives only as a skeleton. This individual that raised him made a promise to him, altering his body structure somewhat to accommodate this individual's commands. He's lighter, faster and more dangerous than before. What purpose does he serve, who does he serve and will he accomplish his task?

Siren: the former queen of the United Island Archipelago and the most powerful individual on the island chain at the time. She's the mother of Emperor and wants only the best and positive for him. Knowing that this wasn't a reality after husband betrayed her, she lost her other son to his father which sparked the war. She's very kind, caring and compassionate to everyone she meets, but everything has a breaking point. When and where will this happen, and what powers does she possess?

Angel Siren: this iteration of Siren is the most powerful and dangerous, causing anything that's evil to tremble before her. She serves an individual that's awesome in power and stature that gives her the power that she has. She was made to keep order and peace and this iteration shows it perfectly.

Gold: an individual shrouded in mystery. His past is unknown, those who meet him in the present don't last long enough to record anything, and who knows his future? Those who have managed to escape his wrath tell of him as an individual of terrifying power, and if looks could kill, he would've been the ruler by now. However, despite this, he was bound to a volcano by an individual who held a power greater than he. Will he come back to terrorize the United Island Archipelago and how will be released is he does come back?"

True Demon Gold: No information availible

Abyss: The other child of Siren. He started off cheerful, kind and caring, but something turned him to the exact opposite of this. As a result, he's bitter, unforgiving and apathetic. His Black scales suit his name almost perfectly, but he was known by a name prior to this change. What was it and why does he know have a quest for not only power, but the throne as well?

John: An evil spirit that was locked away in an artifact long ago. Before this, he was an individual who held a power greater than that of Gold and would terrorize parts of the known world with his power. He ruled over cities with an iron fist and anyone that tried to stand up to him would fall within a short span of time. This happened until he was overthrown by a greater force that could only be described as a "Brilliant Light". Because of this, he was bound and inserted into an artifact never to be seen again...that was until someone got ahold of this artifact. Will John be released, and if so, how? Also, who would want to release an individual with power like this?

Devil John: the true iteration of this monster at full use of his power. None have com back alive to tell what power this individual has; only written documents of those who have seen him in their last moments were compiled to describe him. Though there's not enough to make a clear picture of him, one can only speculate the awesome and terrifying power this individual possesses.

Mastermind: An individual that goes from place to place looking for those it deems fit for those to serve it. Not much is known about this individual except for its appearance. It seems to have a mask with a demonic smile cut into its face with large eye sockets that have color-changing pinpoints of light in them. The body seems to be very slim, almost the thickness of bones and its long claws on its hands and feet. It also seems to have a long cardigan that it wears to seemingly conceal itself when it comes out at night. What is this creature? Does it have a past and what is its mission?

Master JohnByss: the combination of three powerful individuals. Not much is known about this individual because it was only recorded being seen once. Many speculate that this couldn't happen, and dismiss this as some hallucination, but with the discovery of "Energy Levels", could it be? If this was possible, how is all this energy being contained and used in one body?

Lizard Slayer: an Assassin Lizard turned into a conglomerate by Lemon for a project assigned to Lemon's team by an individual of high stature. This project is supposed to show how genetic alteration is positive for certain species, but with the outcome like this, how will the public react? It's just a lizard, right?

Slayer: a larger form of the original Slayer that likes lemonade. He also seems clueless at times and ignorant at others. With the lack of knowledge and comprehension abilities that it seems to have, would this experiment be counted as a success or a failure?

Full Meme Lord Slayer: MAXIMUM MLG OVERLOAD! (Equium included)

Ignis: a large lizard that was said to have lived a long time ago. No one today seems to know where this individual could have come from, but the story that he tells about how it came into existence baffles those who hear it, causing them to easily dismiss what they have heard. This individual doesn't seem to have the knowledge of today, making it look like it doesn't know its left from its right. However, legends about this individual state that this individual has a great power resting inside of it. Could it be possible the legends are true and if so, how much power does this individual possess?

Mega Ignis: the iteration of this creature after letting the full power of the Earth Claw Fragment that it possesses add to the power it already has. This form of Ignis has an increased amount of power, but less speed than before, which would be bad for it, considering it's pretty slow already, but the almost impenetrable scales it has and with the power of the earth behind this individual, how formidable could this individual be?

Shadow Stepper: another individual shrouded in mystery. Apparently, this individual started off as a scientist that almost no one knew and was later taken in by an individual who felt bad for him. After an experiment that caused him to be scattered across dimensions, he looked for a way to bring himself back together, and after this, sought revenge on the one who did this to him. This can't be true, right? This story is absolutely absurd; there's no way that it could be true….could it?

ERROR Shadow Stepper: an individual who lost his former self after the experiment. He lost his mind, body, soul and spirit, rendering him nothing more than a shell in the reaches of space looking over the timelines of existence. With all of these lost elements of his body, he went insane, bending everything to his will to get a physical body and revenge on the one who did this to him. With no mind, how is it possible that this individual could remember who did this to him and why does he hate the individual who brought him here so much? If he's not physical, how much harm could he do?

Saiko Osama: the master of timelines and a completely empty individual with only one mission: kill, steal, and destroy until he is the undisputed master of everything.

Fuego: an individual that looks very similar to Rojo in both body structure and personality. He's now the Private First-Class reprisentitive of the United Island Archipelago and is much more lenient and laid-back when it comes to training. He seems to look up to someone that was like him, but who could this be? Why is it also that he seems to be grieving all the time? Could this be the reason for his anger?

EY-001: a machine that was created by Lemon to stop the horrors that her enemy was creating, but it backfired, causing more trouble than positivity. Now, the machine inhabits a building that fades in and out of existence degrading and becoming more bitter with every day that passes. Everything has a point where it withers away, right? Metal rusts and flesh decomposes, so what's left of this if these are true?

CW-001: an experimental creature that was supposed to test the limits of science. The creator of this creature intended for it to be a weapon that caused the destruction of enemies, but that plan backfired, making it kill the common people. The creator of this individual went into exile, and eventually insane, spending most of its time in a manufacturing plant trying to find a way to deactivate the creature and bring it back to how it originally was.

Saurio: An individuals that has a very odd look to others that try to comprehend him. With Brown irises and Red scales, this is a combination that has never been observed before. It's also written in some text recollections that at one point, he held the power of the Fire Claw Fragment. He was only observed to be in the High Council Shrine and in Cryptis's lab by others, but seems to be hiding something; what is it, and will he meet someone or something that will make him re-evaluate everything that he once knew?

Shells: the tormented soul of chameleon Black Magic practicioners who got too close to the

Cryptis: a lizard that's super smart and wise. He wanted to create something to test the limits of modern science and show the world that science is not bad, but extremely positive. Because of this, he was taken in by an advanced species and under the commission of an individual of like smartness and wisdom created something that now lurks in the shadows to assassinate those who it deems to be easy targets. Because of the time and energy spent on a failure, he spiralled into depression, and eventually insanity. Now, he lives inside of a manufacturing plant trying to find a way to deactivate the "perfect" weapon that he created.

Ruin: an experimental example of the Yoshi species that was Cyptis's second creation. Due to his insanity, he created Ruin to serve and protect him in the case that he lost all of his mind. Ruin is a creature that possesses an incredible power: a strain of the Devil Gene, something that Cryptis acquired during the capture of John. as a result of this, Ruin is extremely angry and confrontational, and after Cryptis was taken, he went off in a raged state to find him. The Devil Gene makes good individuals into destructive monsters, so will Ruin fall to this sickness and what's with those glowing eyes of his as well as those ropes and spikes that line his spine all the way to his tail? Does this hint to anything?

Absolute Ruin: the form that this individual takes after succumbing to immense Rage. the only things that he knows is death, destruction and bringing misery to those around him. He has gained so much power and speed, it's eating away at his mind, causing him to fall deeper into the clutches of the Devil Gene. With his mind gone, he's sacrificed it to power, using the beads to take the limit of this power off. He inherited these beads from someone that was close to him as a means of managing the strain that he was infused with. With these orbs being observed orbiting around his body, which means the power cap for his magic ability has been removed, how much destruction will come to pass before he is neutralized? If this is possible, who could defeat him after he lost his mind and sold his body to power?

ThunderHead: a fabled individual who resides at the top of a certain mountain range. She's angry, confrontational and torn internally about something. Some time ago, she left suddenly without giving any hints to where she resides. She took something with her when she left, sending the area where she came from into civil turmoil. She is said to guard something and for those who try to take whatever it is that she is guarding, come back at the verge of death. If she's the sister to Lemon, why is she a polar opposite? Also, why do the two seem to have so much in common?

Contrast: the opposite of Slayer and was created by an individual who has lost his mind after it was consumed by an immense and great power. Since this is the polar opposite of Slayer, it's serious, hates jokes and stupidity, and likes limeade, something that Slayer doesn't like. With the power and actual intelligence, will this weapon that this individual created be the one to throw a wrench into Emperors team's progress?

Kūki: an individual shrouded in mystery. As one of the Claw Fragment holders, this individual has been seen rarely, but is known to help those in need at times. Those who have seen this individual describe it as an individual who looks like the air itself, bending air to its will. Another thing that's been documented is the brightly shining middle claw of this individual. With so much mystery surrounding this individual, what powers could this individual hold and why does this individual reside at the top of a mountain?

Krait: the General of the United Chameleon Island Chain (UCIC) that keeps to the shadows rather than the light. For some time, he went missing and came back as something that no longer was himself. It's unknown how he got to this rank, but his attitude and brutality in battle proves that he can be this rank without trying very hard at all. Known for the scars over his eyelids and the Assassin Lizard Venom that he can secrete from his jaws and claws at will makes him a formidable foe in battle for those who dare to cross him. If he is the General of the army, why does he hate Lieutenant IronClaw and stay hidden all the time?


	28. Supporting Text (Character Descriptions)

Emperor (Yoshi) Nature: calm/collected (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 5'7

Weight 200LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Dark Green

Eye color Blue

Body size Muscular

Extra features wrist blades magic ties to the ReBorn (sword)

Devil/Evil Emperor (Yoshi and Devil Jin from Tekken 7 combined) Nature: arrogant, destructive and cocky

(Hit: ROLL 4)

Height 6'4

Weight 350 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale color Green/Black

Eye color Red

Body size Very Muscular

Extra features Wings Horns DeathBringers magic chains around his legs and arms spikes line his back chain lightning of Black and Red course across his body when he attacks

Marine (Yoshi) Nature: joker and decisive (Hit: **ROLL **3)

Height 5'8

Weight 195 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Dark Blue

Eye color Light Blue

Body size medium build

Extra features water swords

Water Element Marine (Yoshi with water magic) Nature: calm and collected (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 6'0

Weight 225 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Dark Blue

Eye color Lapis Lazuli Blue

Body size very muscular

Extra features water/air magic and water rings around his wrists and ankles

Rojo (Yoshi with Cloud's buster sword from FF7) Nature: leader, decisive and strong-willed (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 6'4

Weight 300 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Red

Eye color Gold

Body size Very muscular

Extra features Heavy Sword steel-toe boots with tap blades dual daggers scar over right eye

Fire Element Rojo (Yoshi and Oni from Asura's wrath put together) Nature: Mad with power (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 7'0

Weight 350 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale color Dark Red

Eye color Magma Orange

Body size very muscular

Extra features Fire/Lava magic magma veins

True Hero Rojo (yoshi and Undyne the Undying from undertale put together) Nature: self-explanitory (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 6'7

Weight 325 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale color Blood Red

Eye color Black base with Green iris

Body size very muscular

Extra features Undyne eye Magma veins longer claws faster

Venom (yoshi) Nature: decisive and emotionally torn (Hit: **ROLL **4)

Height 5'9

Weight 265 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Dark Purple

Eye color Green

Body size Medium muscle

Extra features eyepatch over his right eye dagger in his left boot

True Hero Venom (Yoshi and Undyne the Undying from undertale put together) Nature: Angry and Confrontational (Hit **ROLL**: 3)

Height 6'4

Weight 290 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale color Purple-Black

Eye color Black base Green eye laser

Body size very muscular

Extra features undyne eye magic sword

Seishin No Nikushimi (Wrath of the Spirit Venom) (Hit:** ROLL** 4)

Height: 6'2

Weight: 300 LBS

Gender: Male

Scale Color: Blackish-Purple

Eye Color: Black base with Red-Orange Irises

Body Size: extremely muscular

Extra Features: Unparalleled HATE!

Cynder (Rex from Yoshi's Island) original Nature:Angry,Confrontational and smart (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 5'9

Weight Unknown

Gender Female

Scale color Grey

Eye color Magenta

Body size thin but medium muscle build

Extra features wings fire breath

Dragon Cynder (Self-explanatory) Nature: extremely aggressive and confrontational (Hit:** ROLL** 4)

Height Unknown

Weight Unknown

Gender Female

Scale color Deep Grey and Gold

Eye color Blood Red

Body size colossal

Extra features dragon body horns wings

Lemon (Yoshi) Nature:EXTREMELY Timid and nervous (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 5'8

Weight 165 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color Yellow

Eye color Green

Body size thin

Extra features LED eye(left) super knowledge wires around her fingers super timid and nervous half-machine secretive (Based off of Alphys from UnderTale)

ERROR! Lemon (ERROR! Sans and Yoshi put together) Nature: emotionless (Hit:** ROLL **4)

Height 6'2

Weight Unknown

Gender Female

Scale color Blue, Red, White, Grey

Eye color Bleached White

Body size medium muscle build

Extra features super calculation error sans wires ERROR! Bringers Blue and Yellow chains of lightning course across her body when she attacks

NorthWind and Frostbite (Yoshis) Nature: wise (Hit:** ROLL **4)

Height 5'7

Weight 205 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color Light Blue

Eye color Sky Blue

Body size thin

Extra features cleated boots and magic super knowledge

Sub-Zero Northwind and Frostbite (Yoshi and Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat put together) Nature:Cold/emotionless (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 6'0

Weight 260 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color Snowy White

Eye color Dark Blue

Body size thin but muscular

Extra features rings of ice around their necks, wrists and ankles full ice magic

Lime (Yoshi) Nature: wise and calculated (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 6'0

Weight 215 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Lime Green (hence the name)

Eye color Hazel

Body size medium muscle build

Extra features gun sword and A scar over his chest combat boots

Rose (yoshi) Nature: confrontational and competitive (Hit: **ROLL **3)

Height 5'9

Weight 185 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color Magenta

Eye color Brown

Body size thin but muscular

Extra features pet Assassin Lizard always on her shoulder or Lemon's

Black Rose (Yoshi) nature: destructive (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 6'2

Weight 210 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color Deep Red and Black (mottled)

Eye color Black with Red pupils

Body size medium muscular build

Extra features taller longer claws gains magic ability

Halcyon (Yoshi) Nature: calm and collected...maybe too calm (Hit: **ROLL** 5)

Height 6'0

Weight 165 LBS

Gender Male

Scale Color Faded Gold

Eye color Purple

Body size medium/normal

Extra features magic ability, sixth sense lightning chains of Light and Dark Blue course across his body when he attacks

True Halcyon (Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 5)

Height 6'4

Weight 250 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Deep/rich Gold

Eye color Gold

Body size muscular

Extra features magic and super strength

Mercury (Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 5'9  
Weight 210 LBS  
Gender Male  
Scale color Faded and flaking Grey  
Eye color Yellow  
Body size thin  
Extra features flaking scales and A gun sword

Heavy Metal Mercury (Melted metal Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 6'2

Weight Unknown

Gender Unknown

Scale color Melted metal substance

Eye color Glowing Yellow

Body size heavy set

Extra features molten metal body and can take over any machine internals

NightShade (Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 2)

Height 5'11

Weight 300 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Deep Purple

Eye color Silver

Body size heavy/fat

Extra features super cocky and has A silver tongue

Dry NightShade (Dry Yoshi) (Hit:** ROLL** 4)

Height 6'2

Weight 50 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale color none

Eye color Glowing Purple

Body size bones

Extra features A skeleton brought back from the dead to kill Emperor

Siren (Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 5'4

Weight 155 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color Bright White

Eye color Blue

Body size thin

Extra features future sight magic ability

Angel Siren (Angel from Tekken Tag Tournament and Yoshi put together) (Hit: **ROLL** 5)

Height 6'0

Weight 200 LBS

Gender Female

Scale color White and Gold

Eye color Emerald Green

Body size medium set

Extra features Gold wings enhanced magic ability

Gold (Yoshi) (Hit:** ROLL** 4)

Height 6'3

Weight 285 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Deep Gold

Eye color Glowing silver

Body size muscular

Extra features none

True Demon Gold (Devil Kazuya from Tekken 7 and Yoshi put together) (Hit: **ROLL** 5)

Height 7'0

Weight 350 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Gold and Black

Eye color Black base with Gold Pupils

Body size extremely muscular

Extra features wings horns third eye

Abyss (Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL **3)

Height 5'7

Weight 205 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Black

Eye color Red

Body size muscular

Extra features wrist blades

John (Evil Spirit of A Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 6'0

Weight Unknown, maybe 5 oz?

Gender Male

Scale color none

Eye color Pulsing Purple and Red

Body size muscular

Extra features is A ghost that can inhabit others that it chooses spikes line his back

Devil John (Akuma from Street Fighter 5 and Yoshi put together) (Hit: **ROLL **4)

Height 7'4

Weight 375 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Pitch Black and oily Purple

Eye color Black base with Gold pupils

Body size extremely muscular

Extra features wings, leaking blood from his eyes and gains sharp teeth

Mastermind (NightMarionette from FNAF 4 and W.D. Gaster from undertale put together) (Hit: **ROLL **5)

Height 6'0

Weight Unknown maybe less than 10 LBS?

Gender Unknown

Scale color none, but has A felt skin

Eye color LED lights

Body size extremely thin

Extra features same abilities as Night Marionette

Master Johnbyss (combination of Abyss, John and the Mastermind) (Hit:** ROLL** 5)

Height 6'10

Weight 225 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Black and oily Purple

Eye color left eye is red, but right eye is complex. (innermost ring is Red, second ring is Orange, and outermost is Blue)

Body size medium build, but is muscular

Extra features flying/floating ability, can induce illusions, and can mind-control

Lizard Slayer (Frilled Lizard) (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 3 Feet

Weight 1.1 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Mottled Orange and Yellow with A silver head

Eye color Orange base with A Black pupil

Body size normal

Extra features frill around his neck

Normal Slayer (larger Frilled Lizard) (Hit: **ROLL** 420)

Height 3'2 at the shoulder

Weight 60 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Mottled Orange and Yellow with silver head

Eye color Changes depending on the mood

Body size that of A Komodo Dragon

Extra features Drunk most of the time on Hard Lemonade and has A slatted Frill

Meme Lord Slayer (MLG Frilled Lizard) (Hit: **ROLL **420)

Height 4'2 at the shoulder

Weight 420 LBS

Gender Male

Scale Color MLG color scheme

Eye Color Marijuana(Weed) Green

Body size super muscular Komodo Dragon

Extra Features Blunt in his mouth, 'Deal With it' sunglasses OBEY hat full 12 claw fragments elevated magic ability orbiting Doritos Magic MTN Dew can

Ignis (Sentient Earth Based Superlizard) (Hit: **ROLL** 2)

Height 8'0 at the shoulder

Weight 1,200 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale Color Brown on the topside, but White on the underside

Eye Color Black with Brown pupils

Body size enormous hardened rock body

Extra Features super sharp claws and earth-based magic energy embedded Claw Fragment

Mega Ignis (Mega form of Ignis, using Mega Groudon as the base) (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 12'00 at the shoulder

Weight 1,500 LBS

Gender Unknown

Scale Color Glowing Orange and Brown scales with Magma veins

Eye Color Red base with A Gold Pupil

Body size enormous hardened rock body with Magma veins

Extra Features blades that line its back and front portion of his legs and has two forward-facing spikes that rise from where his eyes are.

(Characters from Yoshi's True Story: The Other World)

Fuego (Yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 5'11

Weight 235 LBS

Gender Male

Scale color Rich Red

Eye color Velvet Red

Body size medium muscular

Extra features Rojo's Boots and Heavy Sword

EY-001 (Old and rotting cyborg Yoshi made by Lemon; based off of Springtrap) (Hit:** ROLL **3)

Height 5'9

Weight Unknown

Gender none

Scale color none

Eye color LED light

Body size extremely thin

Extra features corroded and rusty joints leaks bad smelling liquid from its joints

CW-001 (Robotic Chameleon) (Hit: **ROLL** 6)

Height 4'0 at the shoulder

Weight 120 LBS

Gender none

Scale color variable

Eye color Faded Yellow

Body size medium

Extra features sharp claws invisibility facial recognition software

Cryptis (Tuatara) (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height 3'2 at the shoulder  
Weight 180 LBS  
Gender Male  
Scale color Faded Silver/Grey  
Eye color Light Gold  
Body size thin  
Extra features lab coat has magic super knowledge is an oracle

Ruin (Yoshi; based off of Ultra Street Fighter 4 Akuma) (Hit: **ROLL** 4)

Height 5'11

Weight 235 LBS

Gender Male

Scale Color Deep Black (Vantablack)

Eye Color Angry Orange and Red

Body size muscular

Extra Features has the abilities of Oni and Akuma/ created by Cryptis.

Kūki (Air Elemental yoshi) (Hit: **ROLL** 3)

Height: 5'9

Weight: unknown

Gender: Female

Scale Color: Sky Blue with marbled Grey

Eye Color: Sky Blue

Body Size: Normal

Extra Features: Air Claw Fragment

Shadow Stepper (OC Greninja/Error! Sans mix)

Height: 4'9 Courching 6'2 Standing

Weight: 230 LBS

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Varies with powers used

Body Size: slightly muscular

Extra Features: tongue scarf, death bringers and time control 'Blue Strings'

ERROR! Shadow Stepper

Height: 5'0 Crouching 6'4 Standing

Weight: Unknown

Gender: Unknown

Eye Color: ERROR! words

Body Size: Muscular  
Extra Features: Blue String,Time Control and can see Timelines

Saiko Osama (Possessed/True Shadow Stepper)

Height: 6'5 (Can only stand)

Weight: 400 LBS

Gender: Unknown

Eye Color: Black with a Green slitted pupil

Body Size: Extremely muscular  
Extra Features:

Krait (Four Star Asian Water Monitor)

Height: 3 Feet Tall/ 9 Feet Long

Weight: 330LBS

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Black Base with Red slitted pupil

Body Size: Muscular  
Extra Features:

ThunderHead (Electronic Elemental Yoshi)

Height

Weight

Gender

Eye Color

Body Size  
Extra Features

Serpiente (Human Overseer of the Yoshi World; based off of BlazBlue's Hazma)

Height 5'9

Weight: 180 LBS

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Green

Body Size: thin but muscular  
Extra Features: chains that he can control mentally

Awakened Serpiente


End file.
